posted by John on January 7, 2012
Editor’s note: we’re happy to welcome John M. to our staff. Please rate this post and let us know how you like it.
Days, the sophomore release from Ridgewood, NJ’s Real Estate, follows in the footsteps of their self-titled debut. It’s a familiar sound, but this time around it’s delivered in a tighter, brighter package. Full of chiming guitars, lazy beats, and shimmering arpeggios crashing into each other, the songs are bound together by the beautifully languid vocal melodies of singer and guitarist Martin Courtney, and the band’s laid-back, reverb-soaked vibe.
“It’s Real,” the album’s first single, pulses with the steady drumming of Etienne Pierre Duguay, some “oh, oh, ohs” from Martin, and the chiming guitar lines of Matt Mondale to make it the catchiest track of the bunch, and a perfect entry point for folks just getting to know the band.
The production on Days sounds thick and lush, but the songs themselves are stripped back to the vitals. A quick verse into the chorus, with a little guitar interplay to lock it all together is all that’s needed to deliver a big, warm sound. Even a long song like “All the Same” doesn’t have a wasted note or gratuitous part at over seven minutes in length.
Lyrically, Real Estate keeps things streamlined too. Good vibes, simple times, peace and harmony with a hint of wistful bliss and wonder, are the main topics throughout. Even songs like “Out of Tune,” with its direct, confrontational lyrics, seem to handle a bad situation with a brush aside of the hand, when relinquished with a beautiful vocal melody:
It was all out of tune
You’re entering this town
Yourself a weeping clown
You play along to songs written for you
Days is a solid batch of songs. Breezy pop, great harmonies, and the jangle of the guitars make for a great record to play with the windows down on a summer day, or better yet on a cool night to warm things up.
RIYL: Early 90s Brit Pop, Pysch-Pop, The Thrills, Luna, The Feelies, The La’s
Real Estate – Its Real (Downloaded 235 times)
Real Estate – Easy (Downloaded 216 times)
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» Meaningless labels: Catchy • Happy • Male vocal • Reverb
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January 7th, 2012 at 1:40 pm
I like these guys, the guitar playing reminds me of Johnny Marr’s.
January 9th, 2012 at 5:54 pm
Totally hear the Johnny Marr guitar. Great record, bought it love it!
January 15th, 2012 at 8:54 am
This is great! They sound a lot like a more upbeat version of Husky.