Fire Theft

Three quarters of the now defunct emo architects Sunny Day Real Estate reunite — guitarist Dan Hoerner is MIA — under a new name and head in a slightly new direction. The brooding post-punk roar that punctuated SDRE's gorgeous swirling harmonic drone on their swansong, Rising Tide, has been replaced by more epic, Pink Floydian prog rock ambitions this time out. The most distinctive feature of both bands, vocalist Jeremy Enigk's falsetto wail, is as powerful as ever while drummer William Goldsmith and bassist Nate Mendel (also a full time Foo Fighter) keep steady back beats that allow the psychedelic, trembling guitar and symphonic swells that border on bombastic — and not in a bad way — to soar. Somewhere Syd Barrett's chest is swelling with pride.