Real Estate. Not Sunny Day. Just Real Estate.

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.

This is a bummer. It blurs so quickly into indistinguishable sameness, like an EKG flatlining

Always thought Matt Mondanile was the key to Real Estate. Really bummed me when he left the band; knew Courtney & co. would make an album like In Mind, sleepy and samey.

They never got much better than "Municipality" I think. That whole album is great, definitely their peak.

...I like the album. I really like the long jammy song on the first side.

Album is all right but Real Estate have always been a "two tracks per album" group for me. "Darling" is pretty special.

i like this! sleepy and samey aren't necessarily deal breakers for me, anyway.

I think Darling is great, but most of the album is not clicking for me - as someone who likes s/t and Days pretty much front to back

yeah I like this a lot too - it's comforting, warm 60s psych vibes, hearing a bit of Teenage Fanclub in them

the She's So Heavy ending on Two Arrows is fun imo

File under: Things that are boring but good

https://pitchfork.com/news/real-estate-fired-guitarist-matt-mondanile-in-2016-because-he-allegedly-mistreated-women/

Massive new story -- triggers noted.

https://www.spin.com/featured/matt-mondanile-ducktails-real-estate-sexual-misconduct-allegations-detailed/

so sad

I'm glad the new album is good because now I kinda don't want to hear the old ones

Days will always be special to me, despite this.

yeah I think it probably will to me too in a while it's just right now I don't really want to hear it

Right

You're entering this town
Yourself a weeping clown
You play along to songs written for you
But you're all out of tune

Hm, as they say.

https://pitchfork.com/news/matt-mondanile-addresses-sexual-misconduct-allegations/

Per the legal statement:

Regarding Real Estate, the band required Matt to sign a “leaving agreement” in February 2016 that prohibits both him and the band members from making any negative or derogatory statements about the other, or that may negatively affect the other’s reputation and career. In violating the terms of the agreement, Real Estate band members were not “protecting the victims,” they were instead protecting themselves by sidestepping the controversy to protect the band's commercial viability.

love "Saturday" a lot

New album came out last week and I’ve seen zero mention of it anywhere.

There are a lot of little lead guitar flourishes in this record that I find a little hokey, on first listen at least.

My copy just arrived yesterday, but I haven't had a chance to play through it yet.

Sorta reminds me of Teenage Fanclub

I'm honestly not terribly familiar with Teenage Fanclub, so I'm not sure what to make of that particular comparison, but this is... different. It's hard to put my finger on it. I like it, but it's not quite what I expected.

basically Days is the only album they needed to make is how I break it down to an extent

not hearing Teenage Fanclub really at all

I'm loving this, it's their sophistipop record!

Ok, you know what youre going to get with Real Estate but I love their subtle tweaks to the melancholy summer voib on each albun

I've always relied on these guys for all of my jangly vitamins and minerals. New direction not really working for me.

Days is a couple months away from 10 years old. Still a classic!

I wonder if J0rdan S. ever came around to The Clientele within these last 10 years (was rereading upthread)...

the only time I engaged w/this band was seeing them at Pitchfork with J0rdan lol

https://realestate.bandcamp.com/album/daniel

excited for this, esp. as The Main Thing ended up my 2nd fave after Days

little bit of The Shins' "Saint Simon" in this first single

Not sure if it "means" anything that no one had anything to share here about the new album...my impression is that there are a lot of people who likely feel this is a band whose best work is behind them. I continue to have a soft spot for Real Estate, even while being frustrated at a certain sameness that is both a weakness and strength of theirs.

Anyway--I'm enjoying the new one. "Water Underground" is definitely the most memorable, expertly composed + arranged song here and one of their best ever, I think. The little flourishes that distinguish this slightly from their others are welcome, like the pedal steel on half the tracks and the moody but propulsive rhythms of "Freeze Brain" and "You Are Here". The lyrics are mostly fine, sometimes weak, occasionally just right. I still think Martin's solo records are better than any of the last 3 Real Estate albums.

I like them a lot but yeah I think Atlas was their last really strong album. The new one is a bit mid, they always sound pleasant at least but this seems a bit inessential.

Oh meant to post about this, I've been enjoying it. Can't tell if the songs are at the level of the last album, which I loved, but Real Estate + Golden Hour producer is plenty for me, and I do really like where it goes in the last couple songs.

Yeah this new one is definitely not top tier Real Estate, but I'll be damned if it still doesn't sound gorgeous.

Always pleasant, rarely essential.

A fragment of the video f "Water Underground" was played on the TV news in Spain last weekend. Yesterday I found out that "Atlas" is almost ten years old.

First album and first ep essential, after that yeah, pgwp otm