I first became aware of Real Estate via BBC 6Music when the dreamy ‘Water Underground’ made it onto their playlist and got solid rotation. They had this album coming out, and I decided to take a punt; really glad I did, as this record is right up my straza.
Before this release, I knew nothing about the band and deliberately kept away from them on Spotify so I could come to the band and the album fresh. So what do we have? Thirty-eight minutes of excellent indie pop, that is what.
Fans of Death Cab For Cutie or Fountains Of Wayne will probably enjoy this album from the get-go. It is filled with catchy, jangly pop tracks, occasionally with a faint country twang (not so faint on the track ‘Victoria’).
There are lots of breezy songs which are easy on the ear and easy to ingest. It feels like the sound of the summer (even in February), all effortless and natural.
I can imagine the album being the perfect soundtrack to a road trip when there is better weather.
Negatives? The album can sound a bit similar; there isn’t much variation (barring ‘Victoria’), but if, like me, you like at least one song, you will like the whole record.
If you fancy a copy, this beautiful baby blue version is available from the Domino Records website for £27, the Indies Only silver version is available for about £24 from your favourite independent stockist, or you can pick it up from HMV on traditional vinyl for £23.
Tracks To Try: ’Somebody New’, ‘Haunted World’, ‘Water Underground’, ‘Freeze Brain’, ‘You Are Here’.
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