Arts & Life, Music

Album review: Real Estate’s “Atlas”

Call me crazy, but Real Estate’s new album may just be the best thing since their last full album, “Days,” in 2011.
For any fans of laid back, stress relieving music that ironically, keeps you up rather than puts you to sleep, Real Estate is the band for you.

Real Estate’s sixth album, “Atlas and was released on Monday. This album sounds very similar to the last few, and if anything, is slightly more melancholy and reflective than the music on the band’s previous albums.

In case you’re having trouble getting a sense of what dreamy, suburban indie sounds like, Real Estate is comparable to a cheerier, more sedated version of Blue Oyster Cult.

Real Estate’s aesthetic is unlike any other, appealing to the beach bum, nature enthusiast and dancer hidden within us all. With influences from Surf Rock band Ducktails and indie band Yo La Tengo, the music exudes an old fashioned vibe that is unmatched by bands in the genre.

While the older albums relied more heavily on percussion, “Atlas” uses a consistent flow of high hats to meter muffled drums, which serve only as a supplement to the melodic lead guitar. Even the bass emerges as more harmonious in the band’s songs, rather than monotonously humming in the background.

For example, in “The Bend,” the bass guitar is relied more heavily upon for setting the melody, while the lead guitar often falls into repetition to set the foundation for the track.

“I wanna die/ Lonely and uptight/ Stay with me/ All will be revealed,” headman Martin Courtney sings in “Crime.”

The album is perfect for music lovers who constantly need musical narration — the album is great for studying, light running, doing the dishes, lovemaking — you name it.

What’s even better is that about 70 percent of the album is simply instrumental. Intoxicating finger picking pulls listeners into a dream as they experience a bluesy surf washing gently over them.

“Atlas” is now available for download on iTunes and Spotify.

One Comment

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    I rarely leave a response, but i did some searching and wound
    up here Daily 49er : Album review: Real Estate

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