This Thursday, TT The Bear’s Place will play host to a bill featuring the likes of Jeremy Enigk, El May and hometown openers The Field Effect.
Enigk is perhaps best known for his work at the helm of seminal emo pioneers Sunny Day Real Estate (and the subsequent SDRE side project, The Fire Theft). After carving out a spot in many an influence section for a generation of indie rock bands, Enigk began releasing solo albums, the third and most recent of which was 2009’s OK Bear (Lewis Hollow). Whereas his earlier solo work featured a more orchestral, ethereal vibe, OK Bear scaled back much of the lush production and marked a return to a stripped-down-rock-band form.
Since 2013, after announcing via his Facebook page that he was without a label or management, there seemed to be little word on progress toward releasing new music. Now, with the announcement of a pledge music campaign aimed at recording a new album, Enigk is finally back in town in the midst of a cross country acoustic tour.
Below, we’ve included both “Mind Idea” from his most recent album and, for a touch of historical context, “In Circles” from Sunny Day Real Estate’s groundbreaking debut, Diary (Subpop, 1994).
Also performing that night is Australian singer/songwriter El May (a.k.a. Lara Meyerratken). Before establishing herself as a solo artist, El May spent years working as a multi-instrumentalist session musician for such artists as Ben Lee, Crooked Fingers, Nada Surf, Luscious Jackson, Luna, and Dar Williams. Her most recent album, The Other Person Is You (Lojinx, 2014), seems to vary when it comes to a specific genre. It was written and recorded in stops and starts over a period of four years following the release of her self-titled debut.
While one could be comfortable in using the catchall “indie pop” tag to describe El May’s music, it’d be more accurate when applied with a flexible periphery. From folky guitar pop to the dance-able lo-fi beats, the through line between her stylistic choices is steeped in layers of dreamlike harmonies. Folks who caught her when she was touring through town in support of her first record (along with Owen and Caithlin De Marrais) would have seen her employing the use of a vocal loop pedal, surrounding herself in a wash of repeating phrases, each one dancing around the main vocal.
To get you up to speed we’ve included “Lessons Appear” and “I Played A Role”, both of which appear on The Other Person Is You.
And finally, opening up the evening with a stripped down acoustic set, we have Boston’s own The Field Effect. Normally, I’d get to use descriptive phrases like “high-energy riffing” or “driving, dynamic melodies” for TFE’s brand of rock, but this Thursday the audience will get to take in a local favorite from a different perspective. As folks who are familiar with the band (or have seen them in this context before) can attest, front-man Doug Orey’s lyrics and song craft are equally impressive when brought intimately front and center.
The Field Effect are currently in the studio working on their next release, but in the meantime you can check out their most recent track “Jenny (It’s Getting Late)” and also the Allston Pudding video feature for their track “Ogunquit, ME” from a few years back.
9pm / $13
TT The Bear’s Place
10 Brookline Street
Cambridge, MA 02139
