It’s hard to fathom that it’s been 30 years since the release of the seminal album Diary by Sunny Day Real Estate. Mostly because I can remember listening to it for the first time in college as I was trying to figure the world (and myself) out. It came out around the same time as a lot of records I ended up loving were released. Rodan’s Rusty and Unwound’s New Plastic Ideas were just two records that came out the same year and, though similar, there was something that Diary had that kept me coming back to it again and again.

Right from the start, you hear these angular guitar lines and melodic bass, right before frenetic drums kick in. But it was Jeremy Enigk’s voice cutting through the distortion like a beam of light that drew me in. That combination of sweet then abrasive in both lyrical content and the instrumentation was compelling.

For the anniversary, Sunny Day Real re-recorded the 1994 album, adding new track, “Novum Vetus” to the track list — their first recording in 10 years. To commemorate the release, Sunny Day Real Estate embarked on a tour where they play the entirety of Diary. And recently, the band stopped in DC’s Howard Theatre to a sold-out house.