I have always liked Seattle band, Sunny Day Real Estate and recently I went through my music collection and came across Diary. Their debut studio album, released in 1994, was unique and told a strong story. Comparable to other records from bands in their genre, it was an introduction to what we know as emo, and set a strong standard for future sound.

This is definitely one of my all time favorite albums and having listened to it recently, it just brought back all that love. My favorite tracks are Seven, Round, Shadows, 48, and Sometimes, but the whole album is totally worth a listen and more. William Goldsmith exhibits such a genius display of drumming while the melodic yet striking guitars by Dan Hoerner and Jeremy Enigk add such intensity to the music. Although different, Enigk’s vocals seem to create a clear path to your heart, with honesty and passion as a driving force. And being a bassist myself, I can appreciate Nate Mendel’s ability to give the sound the fullness it needs on the backend to be as strong as it is.

The album artwork, created by Chris Thompson, is graced with Little People and a variety of pastel hues. It displays beautiful shading and light work as well as a sense of urgency, which can correlate to the bands sound. This is one album that will always have a place in my heart. It brings me back to a youthful and free time and reminds me that the music industry was once a validated entity, which is surely not what it is today.