The Fire Theft

The Fire Theft | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 23, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Rykodisc
• ASIN: B0000CABFR
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (63 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #29,449 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

THE FIRE THEFT The Fire Theft (2003 UK 12-track CD by the band that is essentially Sunny Day Real Estate the pioneers of modern Emo without guitarist Dan Hoerner. The album is deep emotive intelligent and dynamic - Something that you can either rock to or chill to great foldout didgipack picture sleeve with full lyrics inside! RCD10642)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It's no Sunny Day Real Estate, but it's not supposed to be.., December 21, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Fire Theft (Audio CD)

I've read many complaints about this CD and how it does not sound like "Diary" or various other SDRE recordings, but they all need to realize one thing...this isn't SDRE, this is The Fire Theft. A new band, with a new feeling towards music and life itself.

Uncle Mountain- a peaceful opener, i think they could have placed a more energetic song to open with, but hey, i'm not Jeremy Engnik. Cool guitar solo that sounds very dissonant over the chords being phrased by the rest of the instruments. Beautiful string synths. Great vocals and lyrics.

Wasting Time Segue- a peaceful interlude to get you more settled into the album. Beautiful piano

Oceans Apart- Incredible vocals and harmonies. Very reminiscent of Simon and Garfunkel. Beautiful

Chain- the album's first single. Not my favorite song, but good nonetheless. A very cool 3/4 timing.

Backwards Blues- another instrumental. weak in my opinion. not to worry...

Summertime- probably the first INCREDIBLE song on the album. Very dissonant horns in the backround. Very image-inflicting lyrics. Very dynamic in an unlikley way. The song builds only to get quiet...if that makes any sense...

Houses- absolutley beautiful. Glockenspiels in the backround are very reminiscent of something off of Radiohead's Kid A, or the icelandic bands like Sigur Ros or Mum...

Waste Time- A straight-forward rock song, if there ever was one on this record. cool synth fills

Heaven- Jeremy on piano again. It's a bit of a dead spot on the album. still worth a listen

Rubber Bands- I picked up on a very STP-esque vibe from this song. Very cool. Some time-changes feel very unnatural, and it is another instrumental. A bit of a jam actually, but very cool.

It's Over- Jeremy seems to be giving off some anger on this song. Another great rocker.

Carry You- this is my favorite song on the entire record. The first pre-chorus and chorus give me goosebumps every single time i hear it. absolutley stunning

Sinatra- this is the most complex song on the record, clocking in at 15 minutes. The song starts off with a mellotron, giving off a Beatles vibe, then builds into the rest of the song, then breaks down into a jam, then into a 6 or 7 minute ethereal album outro that almost deserves a track of its own...

Great record
4 out of 5

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Next Logical Step..., September 24, 2003

By 

K. Vaughn "soma" (Stockton, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Fire Theft (Audio CD)

O.K. There have been some mixed reviews of this album. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and so it shows. I first heard "Diary" from Sunny Day Real Estate in 1994 when I was 16. Of course it changed my musical taste from then on. When "LP2" was released, it was not the most appealing album. It felt unfocused and scattered. After constant listens over the years, it is now my favorite album of all time. When the band regrouped in 1998 and released "How it Feels to be Something On" I felt betrayed. Where had all of the angst driven guitars and vocals gone? Their sound had taken on a new meaning and new direction and obviously, not everyone was on board. Again, after constant listens and experiencing the band live twice on that tour, I came to love every song and appreciate the beauty beneath.

Two years later, the band left Sub Pop, signs to Time Bomb and releases "The Rising Tide". Again, upon first listen, I was very dissapointed. What were they thinking? I didn't understand the new direction. I argued with my good friend about it endlessly. I listened to the album almost everyday for at least two months. Suddenly, I began singing along with every word that passed and even picked up my acoustic and began playing along. I loved it. Less than a year later, the band gets dropped from Time Bomb and decides to call it quits for the last time. Then after waiting for over a year, I hear that the band is regrouping without Dan and calling themselves "The Fire Theft". I was eager and curious to hear the new material. I purchased the the demos off of Ebay and I was pretty impressed. I couldn't get past "Chain", which was the first song on the CD. Jeremy's voice never tires even after nine years.

The point of all of this is that as time passes, music changes, people grow older and priorities take a different direction. What's funny is that some reviewers still refer to them as "Emo". It's sad how loosley that term is thrown around lately. Every legitimate "Emo" band has either broken up or changed their sound so significantly as not to be lumped in with all of these new bands that are just jumping on a band wagon that left almost ten years ago and are looking for the same respect as bands that actually defined a sound and pushed it forward. Sorry, it didn't take Carson Daly and MTV2 to tell me that it's cool to be "Emo". Dashboard Confessional, The Used, Vendetta Red, Taking Back Sunday, Count the Stars, New Found Glory, Finch, etc....Sorry, I don't buy your music. I laugh at most and think, "Your a little Late aren't you?" Gone are the days of Braid, the Promise Ring, Joan of Arc, Embrace, Rites of Spring, Jawbox, Christie Front Drive, Drive Like Jehu, and even Sunny Day Real Estate.

This album is perfect in it's way. Did anyone ever stop to think that maybe they are musically spent? Trying a new sound or taking bold leaps against the grain is challenging enough. This album is lush and simple, yet beautiful and haunting at the same time. But I suppose you can either go with the flow or jump off and find another bus to ride. Of course, this is just my opinion and it is neither right nor wrong. I think it's a good step for them. They are doing what makes them happy, and in the end, that's what counts.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a surprise, July 8, 2005

By 

Ouroboros (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Fire Theft (Audio CD)

I think the 62 reviews already written have pretty much covered it. This album blew me away. I expected something I would enjoy, but had no idea how amazing this album was going to be.

I too cannot believe this album didn't completely explode. Bravo!

Seriously, this album is really, really good.