Diary (Sunny Day Real Estate album)

The songlist started with six tracks written by Thief, Steal Me a Peach, a project started when bassist Nate Mendel went on tour with his other project Christ on a Crutch, and drummer William Goldsmith invited his friend Jeremy Enigk to jam with him and guitarist and then singer Dan Hoerner. The first songs afterwards had titles regarding their order in composing - "Seven", "8" and "9", though only the first appeared on Diary. The band had a tradition of numbering songs for title long before Jeremy's arrival.

The songs "47" and "48" were in actuality the two first songs written since his arrival before resetting the song's numbers. The opening riff from "Round" was influenced by indie rock band Treepeople, while "48" and "Grendel" both feature guitar parts inspired by Fugazi.{{Cite web |date=2024 |title=The making of diary by sunny day real estate - featuring jeremy enigk, Dan Hoerner and William Goldsmith |url=https://lifeoftherecord.com/sunny-day-real-estate-notes |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240801111756/https://lifeoftherecord.com/sunny-day-real-estate-notes |archive-date=August 1, 2024 |access-date=December 27, 2024 |website=Life of the Record}}

The artwork of the album was almost entirely done by Chris Thompson. However, the "butterfly" drawing on the album's booklet was created by Nate Mendel's father. The album cover features figures similar to those of popular children's toy Little People.

The album was released on CD, vinyl and cassette. The vinyl has been released in three limited edition pressings, all of which are out of print. The first was a multi-colored splatter vinyl, released on Glitterhouse Records in Germany. The second was a black vinyl pressing on Sub Pop. A repress followed on green vinyl (and possibly a second black pressing), but the label for this second pressing states "Edition II" under the Sub Pop logo. All three vinyl pressings are missing 3 songs that are present on the CD, possibly due to the time constraints of vinyl, as the album clocks in at 53 minutes. The missing songs are "Round", "48" and "Grendel". The 2009 double LP re-issue contains all 11 songs from the original album, and two bonus tracks.

{{Music ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/diary-mw0000112729 |title=Diary – Sunny Day Real Estate |publisher=AllMusic |accessdate=April 5, 2016 |last=Huey |first=Steve}}

| rev2 = The A.V. Club

| rev2score = A{{cite web |url=https://www.avclub.com/sunny-day-real-estate-diary-lp2-1798206965 |title=Sunny Day Real Estate: Diary / LP2 |work=The A.V. Club |date=September 22, 2009 |access-date=April 5, 2016 |last=Ryan |first=Kyle}}

| rev3 = Drowned in Sound

| rev3score = 8/10{{cite web |url=http://drownedinsound.com/releases/14738/reviews/4138119 |title=Album Review: Sunny Day Real Estate – Diary and LP2 (reissues) |work=Drowned in Sound |date=October 15, 2009 |accessdate=April 5, 2016 |last=Metcalfe |first=Will |archive-date=April 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160424180941/http://drownedinsound.com/releases/14738/reviews/4138119 |url-status=dead }}

| rev4 = Pitchfork

| rev4score = 8.7/10{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/13411-diary-lp2/ |title=Sunny Day Real Estate: Diary / LP2 |work=Pitchfork |date=September 3, 2009 |accessdate=April 5, 2016 |last=Cohen |first=Ian}}

| rev5 = PopMatters

| rev5score = 9/10{{cite web |url=https://www.popmatters.com/feature/111481-in-circles-sunny-day-real-estate-reconsidered/ |title=In Circles: Sunny Day Real Estate Reconsidered |work=PopMatters |date=September 14, 2009 |accessdate=April 5, 2016 |last=Jayasuriya |first=Mehan}}

| rev6 = Q

| rev6score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite magazine |title=Sunny Day Real Estate: Diary |magazine=Q |issue=99 |date=December 1994 |page=147}}

| rev7 = Record Collector

| rev7score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite magazine |title=Sunny Day Real Estate: Diary |magazine=Record Collector |date=2009 |pages=108–09 |quote=[U]nique ... with its bare-boned, visceral raw heart honesty ...}}

| rev8 = The Rolling Stone Album Guide

| rev8score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite book |chapter=Sunny Day Real Estate |last=Randall |first=Mac |title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide |title-link=The Rolling Stone Album Guide |editor1-last=Brackett |editor1-first=Nathan |editor2-last=Hoard |editor2-first=Christian |publisher=Simon & Schuster |edition=4th |year=2004 |isbn=0-7432-0169-8 |page=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/793 793]}}

}}

Diary was different from those released by popular Seattle grunge bands at the time, showcasing a melodic, yet urgent sound. Its influence has been observed in the works of subsequent releases in the genre.{{cite web|last=Moss |first=Corey |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1543106/20061013/sunny_day_real_estate.jhtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061026150959/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1543106/20061013/sunny_day_real_estate.jhtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 26, 2006 |title=Emo Stars Worship Them, So Should Sunny Day Real Estate Reunite? - Music, Celebrity, Artist News |publisher=MTV |date=2006-10-16 |accessdate=2012-02-13}} Despite being the only album by the band not to chart, it has since become the seventh best-selling album released on Sub Pop, having sold more than 231,000 copies.{{cite web|url=http://idolator.com/350162/sub-pop-turns-20-sends-zach-braff-an-ftd-bouquet |title=Sub Pop Turns 20, Sends Zach Braff An FTD Bouquet | Music News, Reviews, and Gossip on |publisher=Idolator.com |date=2008-01-29 |accessdate=2012-02-13}} In a retrospective article about the 40 greatest emo albums of all time, Rolling Stone wrote that Diary "captures the vague inner-turmoil of Enigk's lyrics and propels those turbulent emotions to the heavens."Galil L., Bayer J., Burgess A., Spanos B., Exposito S., & Montgomery, J. [https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/40-greatest-emo-albums-of-all-time-20160301/sunny-day-real-estate-diary-1994-20160225 40 Greatest Emo Albums of All Time.] (2016, March 1). Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 29, 2016.

AllMusic said, "In retrospect, Diary doesn't quite fulfill all of its ambitions -- there are a few under-focused moments that don't achieve the epic sweep of the album's best compositions. [...] But even if it isn't quite the top-to-bottom masterpiece its legions of imitators suggest, Diary still ranks as arguably the definitive '90s emo album, and an indispensable introduction to the genre."{{Citation |title=Diary - Sunny Day Real Estate {{!}} Album {{!}} AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/diary-mw0000112729 |access-date=2025-01-27 |language=en}}

Diary has also appeared on best-of emo album lists by Junkee,{{cite web|url=https://junkee.com/essential-emo-albums/242173|title=From 'Three Cheers' To 'Bleed American': The 10 Most Important Emo Albums|work=Junkee|author=Davino, Bianca|date=February 18, 2020|accessdate=August 17, 2020}} Kerrang!,{{cite web|url=http://www.kerrang.com/features/early-emo-albums-best-american-football-saves-the-day/|title=The 20 Best Pre-2000s Emo Albums|work=Kerrang!|author=Freitas, Ryan de|date=May 12, 2020|accessdate=July 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200526132814/https://www.kerrang.com/features/early-emo-albums-best-american-football-saves-the-day/|archive-date=May 26, 2020|url-status=live}} LA Weekly,{{cite web|url=https://www.laweekly.com/top-20-emo-albums-in-history-complete-list/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200626155246/https://www.laweekly.com/top-20-emo-albums-in-history-complete-list/|title=Top 20 Emo Albums in History: Complete List|work=LA Weekly|author=Whipple, Kelsey|date=October 10, 2013|archive-date=June 26, 2020|accessdate=June 25, 2020}} and NME,{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/photos/20-emo-albums-that-have-resolutely-stood-the-test-of-time/367692|title=20 Emo Albums That Have Resolutely Stood The Test Of Time|date=January 14, 2015|work=NME|accessdate=July 29, 2015}} as well as by journalists Leslie Simon and Trevor Kelley, in their book Everybody Hurts: An Essential Guide to Emo Culture (2007).Simon; Kelley 2007, p. 168 The album was ranked at number 155 on Spin{{'}}s "The 300 Best Albums of the Past 30 Years (1985–2014)" list.{{cite web|url=http://www.spin.com/2015/05/the-300-best-albums-of-the-past-30-years-1985-2014/3/|title=The 300 Best Albums of the Past 30 Years (1985–2014)|work=Spin|author=Martins, Chris|date=May 11, 2015|page=3|accessdate=August 6, 2015}} Ian Cohen from Pitchfork wrote that "it's the terse yet tender delivery of the lyrics from Jeremy Enigk that ultimately drew people in." In 2020, Vulture ranked "Seven" and "In Circles" as the 5th and 11th greatest emo songs of all time, respectively.{{cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/article/best-emo-songs.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200213181251/https://www.vulture.com/article/best-emo-songs.html|title=The 100 Greatest Emo Songs of All Time|work=Vulture|author=Cohen, Ian|author2=Nelson, Brad|date=February 13, 2020|archive-date=February 13, 2020|accessdate=August 14, 2020}}

"Seven" was featured in Guitar Hero 5, and it was also released on the Rock Band Network on July 5, 2010.{{cite web |url=http://www.rockband.com/songs/UGC_5003064 |title=Seven by Sunny Day Real Estate // Songs // Rock Band® |publisher=Rockband.com |accessdate=2012-02-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121005091705/http://www.rockband.com/songs/UGC_5003064 |archive-date=2012-10-05 }}

{{track listing

| all_writing = Jeremy Enigk and Dan Hoerner

| total_length = 52:52

| title1 = Seven

| length1 = 4:45

| title2 = In Circles

| length2 = 4:58

| title3 = Song About an Angel

| length3 = 6:14

| title4 = Round

| length4 = 4:10

| title5 = 47

| length5 = 4:34

| title6 = The Blankets Were the Stairs

| length6 = 5:27

| title7 = Pheurton Skeurto

| length7 = 2:33

| title8 = Shadows

| length8 = 4:46

| title9 = 48

| length9 = 4:46

| title10 = Grendel

| length10 = 4:53

| title11 = Sometimes

| length11 = 5:43

}}

{{track listing

| headline = Reissue bonus tracks

| title12 = 8

| length12 = 5:15

| title13 = 9

| length13 = 6:03

| total_length = 64:10

}}

;Sunny Day Real Estate

• Jeremy Enigk – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards
• Dan Hoerner – lead guitar, backing vocals
• Nate Mendel – bass guitar
• William Goldsmith – drums, percussion

;Additional personnel

• Brad Wood – producer, engineer, mixing
• M. Casey Rice – assistant engineer, additional guitar
• Adam Kasper – mastering at Bad Animals
• Lynn Hamrick – photography
• Chris Thompson – artwork

Citations

{{Reflist}}

Sources

{{refbegin}}

• {{cite book|last1=Simon|first1=Leslie|last2=Kelley|first2=Trevor|title=Everybody Hurts: An Essential Guide to Emo Culture|year=2007|publisher=HarperEntertainment|location=New York City|isbn=978-0-06-119539-6}}

{{refend}}

• [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDgpPtAh7J5Lw4H6t54INANehKBWIKCd1 Diary] at YouTube (streamed copy where licensed)
• [http://russellbates.com/work/sunny-day-real-estate-in-circles/ "In Circles" music video]

{{Sunny Day Real Estate}}

{{Authority control}}

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Category:Sub Pop albums

Category:Sunny Day Real Estate albums

Category:1994 debut albums

Category:Albums produced by Brad Wood