Released - Woodsist
Label - 11/17/09
BLURB - I bought this thinking Real Estate could possibly be the next Thrills. Short story - I'm a huge fan of The Thrills and met the singer in a shitty diner in Philadelphia prior to a show they had, opening for Adam Green. It goes down as one of my favorite nights of my life because I was there with one of my best friends, his mom and his sister. Anyway, here we have yet another Beach Boys influenced act trying to reincarnate the genius of Brian Wilson. I was kind of hoping for a bit of a more polished, pop act (again, like The Thrills) but what I got was yet another lo-fi recording. It seems that this fad (while I do enjoy it to some extent) is really plunging into the depths of all musical genres. This album reminds me of this years Papercuts release, but with more melodies. I can't say that I'm jumping for joy over Real Estate's self titled release, but despite my lofty and differing expectations...it's still a decent listen.
Rating - 7.5 Out of 10
FULL STORY - If I've read my magazines and blogs correctly, the single...and the song I should like the most is 'Beach Comber.' So for arguments sake, let's start here. Muddled in an ambient yet melodic feel, this track is actually halfway decent. While the pace is a bit slow for my taste, the friendly guitar riffs and nondescript lyrics offer up some solace.
"What you want is just outside your reach. You keep on searching. You're walking down that Pensacola Beach, you keep repeating."
The song itself is filled with metaphors, despite it's unassuming vibe. The entire track revolves around a metal detector wielding man searching for that lost Rolex in the sand...more plainly - all of our searches for happiness. Although blatant, the song somehow restrains the general theme in a very vague fashion through it's own patience.
"Pool Swimmers" is the second track on the album and if I was forced to describe it - it would be 'far out.' If I was stoned out of my mind and drinking a beer poolside in Malibu and there was no music at all...this would be playing in my mind. There is a very slow pace, which is matched against a very trebly (sp?) guitar riff and some decent background vocals. It's nice, but it has this slow almost psychedelic vibe to it that kind of throws me for a loop. Do I drop acid or take a hit? I need the delineation.
The highlight of the album, for me, is the combination of 'Atlantic City' and 'Fake Blues.' With 'Atlantic City' you get this fairly upbeat instrumental medley that takes you to San Diego circa 1972. You really feel you're there. Simultaneously the song evokes excitement and relaxation...I don't really know how, but it's pretty sweet. Shortly thereafter "Fake Blues" picks up with a slow building cavalcade of cleanly amped guitars. After the buildup reaches it's pick, we're met with a kind of energy that I'd compare to...well...I guess....surfing. It's fast enough to tap your foot to, but more than anything it just feels that you're locked into some kind of groove. There is a very friendly and repetitive riff that goes around, assuring you that you're not alone.
However, after these few songs everything seems to blend together. Not just pace, but instrumentation and lyrics as well. It seems that the majority of the songs on the record could be substituted for any other song on the record, without any major gripes being had. Everything seems just a tad bit slow, and just a tad bit contrived. I don't want to say it...but I think Real Estate is trying too hard. It's a good record and definitely has some definite peaks, but it just feels a bit forced to me. Sorry.
Tracks
1.) Beach Comber
2.) Pool Swimmers
3.) Suburban Dogs
4.) Black Lake
5.) Atlantic City
6.) Fake Blues
7.) Green River
8.) Suburban Beverage
9.) Let's Rock the Beach
10.) Snow Days
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