So here we are. It’s that transitional time of year where we are desperately clinging on to the final dregs of summer and refusing to believe that Jack Frost will be knocking at the door anytime soon. It seems that ‘Days’, the new album by Real Estate, has arrived exactly at the right moment of the season to help us ease through this depressing descent into winter’s blanket of cold and darkness.
The New Jersey quartet create sun-bleached and light-hearted pop songs with a cool indie aesthetic. They combine gently twinkling surf guitar tones with lazy, daydreaming vocals and harmonies. The record sounds like it is a product of The State of California, with an obvious influence of the Beach Boys, rather than developing from the other side of the country. I would draw a contemporary comparison between Real Estate and the likes of Best Coast, but with more valium and less boyfriend ‘troubles’.
Real Estate have certainly harnessed a definitive ‘sound’ throughout the full length of ‘Days’. All the tracks flow into one another smoothly in a generally laid-back, downbeat and relaxing manner. Whilst some listeners could accuse the album of being a little ‘samey’, it seems unmistakeable that this effect is the deliberate intension and ethos behind the music. ‘Days’ was purpose-built for kicking back.
It is incredibly hard to dislike this music, as it is very inoffensive and genuinely pleasant to hear. I also believe the album is also a ‘grower’ and becomes increasingly absorbing to listen to. It sounded better upon its second listen, then even better on its third.
I would regard the previously released single, ‘It’s Real’, as the leading track of the album. It has an incredibly catchy vocal hook for a chorus, which has a tendency to make the listener unwillingly accompany it in harmony. Other highlights include swaying instrumental ‘Kinder Blumen’ and the final track, ‘All The Same’, which softly slows down to put the record to sleep.
Release date: Out now
[Rating: 4]
