Real Estate. Not Sunny Day. Just Real Estate.

I was just listening to Pink Frost and thinking I wish more pop sounded like this!

That song is SO good

Real Estate is good and all, but nowhere near Pink Frost level good.

I don't think anyone here said so!

i was just cautioning Jacob Sanders that if he's looking for another Pink Frost on a Real Estate lp he'll get close, but not quite. and the search will be enjoyable.

Oh true! I didn't originally consider that maybe he meant, "...therefore I will check out Real Estate now"

So I finally listened to Atlas and I really like it! They don't sound anything like I had imagined. I don't hear much yo la tengo at all, everything is more understated and they maintain a a vibe throughout. It sounds very AOR to me. It gives me a similar feeling when I first heard 'Here Come The Cars.' Also reminds me of a lot of pop from Sweden or Norway, or yeah New Zealand.

lovely album. i generally hate pitchfork's reviews but the review of "atlas" is quite otm indeed.

The Ocean Blue! Now this album makes me think of being a 10 or 11-year-old, by myself at a water park, listening to Ballerina Out Of Control on FM radio, through my Walkman.

I like this record. All the songs sound the same but they all sound good.

I like it too...much more than I initially thought!

I started getting into the Clientele because of all the mentions here. (Not sure why I never checked them out, a lot of college radio friends of mine liked them back in the day.) "Suburban Light" has kind of crowded out "Atlas" in my listening rotation haha. Although I don't see the similarities that much, to be honest. The Clientele seem very '60s, light-psych, Zombies influenced in a way I don't hear w/ Real Estate at all.

It's more of the pretty clean melodic guitar emphasis and a consistent sameness of material that link both I think. I could have worded that better but I'm lazy at the moment.

i'm still undecided how much of an advancement this is over their last album but as a piece of craftsmanship it's pretty amazing.

So if I like this record I should get their back catalog? Atlas is quickly become one of my favorite records to listen from start to finish, especially while driving.

i love the previous one, Days.

yeah jacob get the others for sure

I think "Days" is where they first hit their stride. "Atlas" is like a slightly more polished continuation of that album. The s/t debut isn't up to the same level. There are a couple of tracks that show promise, but it's a bit slight and unfocused.

Agreed. The debut has moments but hadn't really distinguished itself from the rest of the Woodsist style bands of the same period until "Days".

"Days" is one of the great growers of the past several years, imo

I agree - Days is the album of coice, although Atlas is showing similar qualities. I miss the lengthier songs of Days though.

I wrote about Days for record club:

http://devonrecordclub.com/2014/03/15/real-estate-days-round-62-toms-selection/

Don't really hear the clientele comparisons but defo hear the sea and cake. Anyway i love them both, and this album too.

Kinda can't get past primitive tho. Just a lovely straightfwd song of the sort I haven't heard in a good wee while.

^^^^^^^^^***^^^^**********gets it

Real Estate listeners: you might like Posse's new album (Soft Opening, released this year). It's on Spotify.

Yeah the Posse album is pretty good. Personally I didn't care for Atlas, its just toooo glossy and for me is almost unlistenable- and I loved every song including B-sides that they ever released before this came out. No hard feelings though, those guys are just too cool to hate on

I really don't see it as that far in sound from "Days".

The only really significant difference I can hear is the lack of climactic moments this time around in relation the past records.

This Posse record is so so so great.

Sometimes I wonder what the music I make myself will sound like when I finally get a group of engaged individuals together to record with me. Or if that will ever happen.
I've been too shy to put up a craigslist ad, and I'm not lucky enough to have any interested friends yet.

just hearing the new one for the first time --- man "indie rock comfort food" is so OTM

Man, Atlas is so pretty. Six-string bliss. The music supplies the emotional depth that is mutely gestured at by the lyrics. Early-period REM is the sonic comparison that most often comes to mind.

well, maybe ballad-y, slow-moving early-period rem. there's no boxcars or wolves, lower here.

(and to be clear, i like this real estate record a lot)

The only really significant difference I can hear is the lack of climactic moments this time around in relation the past records.

Definitely, and I miss that. This album could benefit from a bit more dynamic variation, one or two of those (still quite gentle) exclamation points.

Seeing these guys tonight. Psyched for the laid back swaying flannel vibe.

how were they ? on letterman this wednesday btw

love pretty much everything these guys do

Really enjoyed them. Reasonably tight in the songs though very ambly and loose in between.

Liking the new one (but I still like some of the New Zealand guitar pop it reminds me of better)

I think I don't like it because the only tracks I didn't like on Days were "Easy" and "It's Real" and Atlas is comprised of 10 "It's Real"s

Man, I really disagree, if anything Atlas is more like 10 variations on "Easy" than "It's Real" and that's still a big stretch. I wish there was an "It's Real" on here.

Martin's new material is pretty enjoyable (3 songs released so far). It’s clear he is the creative director for Real Estate. The other guy's solo stuff has a pretty good spirit but his is the most measured and tasteful to me. Alex’s music has a nice attitude but for me is too shallow and gets boring, Ducktails recent stuff has too much sheen and not enough personality or uniqueness (loved his lo-fi first album though). People think Real Estate is boring and inoffensive and samey but it’s clear he has a really good sensibility for laid back and wistful 80s/90s sunny jangle style, same way the Clientele has a great measured consistency with their own brand of laid back, wistful style.

Yes. These guys are excellent. It's ironic that there are approximately 8 zillion interchangable synth pop bands right now, yet this band gets called "samey"

It kind of brings the Bats to mind as well- lots of samey material but always strong and melodic and compelling.

Whelp, Ducktails quit the band to focus on being Ducktails or so we're told. Julian Lynch fills the role. Martin's latest album probably would have done much better if it was branded as Real Estate, because honestly the only thing that was audibly different at all was the subtle instrumental dressings and the clear lack of Ducktails reverby lead guitar. Otherwise I'd like to consider it a strong 4th LP by them (him), no offense to Alex's contributions to their overall sound. Wonder if the reverb lead will remain part of the formula going forward.

synth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUFr4SK1-l4

i love this

feels like this bends them back more towards "it's real" days than the last record which i didn't really like

good stuff - the drone was always my favorite part of their sound

yeah turns out the last album was just a bit too static; it's a fine line between dreamlike and asleep

New one is a bit boring aside from the single

that was my takeaway - zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I like the first three songs, but it loses me after that. I kept looking at the track listing as it was playing and was always surprise/disappointed how long was left on the album. That's never a good sign.