Toward the end of 2009 Real Estate shuffled onto the indie rock scene with their effortlessly brilliant self-titled Lp. Despite its mid-November release and lack of deafening hype, the album managed to work its way into more than a few year-end lists. Following in the vein of Pavement at their most lackadaisical the record made for perfect lazy day music to be enjoyed alone or with friends, at home or on the lake, in the dead of winter or in the full blaze of summer. It was the ideal soundtrack for those moments when life was about living and nothing more. The band followed up their debut with a whole lot of touring. Over the past 18 months, I personally ended up seeing them on four separate occasions, and while always a great live band, each subsequent show found them sounding tighter and bigger than the one before. I mention this because all of that touring seems to be partially responsible for the more expansive sound of "Days," the band's much anticipated sophomore album.While some bands expand their sound by piling on more instrumentation or experimenting with song structure, Real Estate stick to the same basic template as their previous record. This time around, though, their performance is more precise and layered making for a grander sounding record than their relatively lo-fi debut. Whereas previously the band drew comparisons to early R.E.M., the point of reference here is the band that influenced Athens' finest to begin with - The Byrds. Choruses hum with layered harmonies, and guitars shimmer and swell much like the forefathers of jangle rock at the height of their power. It is surely no coincidence that "Days" contains a song called "Younger Than Yesterday," the same title of The Byrds classic fourth album. Also no real coincidence that the hazy dark track recalls everyone from The Byrds to fellow travelers Buffalo Springfield and Neil Young. The net result of this development is that there is a timelessness to these tracks that is sorely lacking from most modern artists' work. There is no doubt that "Days" will sound as spectacular decades from now as it does today.
Another variation in the band's approach this time out is that while everything felt so relaxed and carefree on their debut, here there is a world wariness that seeps into many of the record's tracks. Songs like "Green Aisles" and "Out Of Tune" bare the stamp of resignation, and more than just a little melancholy around the edges of each track. The songs' initial laid-back vibe is deceptive, as closer listens reveals something sounding more like the kind of exhaustion that sets in after life has had its way with you. Of course, some songs maintain their buoyancy against the rising tide of discontent. Tracks like "Easy" and "It's Real" bounce along like the Feelies playing a late-80s house party.
Two of the most interesting songs on the album, "Municipality" and "Three Blocks," find the group pushing themselves in a slightly different direction. "Municipality" is a syncopated rock song (or at least as much rock as Real Estate is capable of) that expresses a longing for an idealized utopia of new houses with well-maintained gardens and freshly-cut lawns where lovers share their lives together. When lead singer Martin Courtney says "that's not anything like my reality," it cuts to the core even as Matthew Mondanile's hypnotic guitar playing soothes. This dichotomy between contentment and sadness runs throughout the album, making for one of the most intriguing musical balancing acts I've heard in some time. "Three Blocks" maintains that tension between light and dark. While the track almost sounds like a romantic waltz, the lyrics reveal something more existential and ponderous: "All those people all around me, were they strangers or was it me, figure out what I want to be."
With "Days," Real Estate have met and exceeded the expectations facing them in the wake of their perfect debut record. Granted there are a couple of extraneous tracks here, like the instrumental "Kinder Blumen," which adds nothing to the band's catalog, but when all is said and done, it is easy to overlook such minor missteps given the strength of the rest of the record. What is most compelling about this album is that even during its most relaxed moments, there is a restless and discontented heart that beats throughout. Given the growth already apparent here, I can't wait to hear what the band does with that restlessness next time out. For now though, I'm more than happy than to lose myself in the sun and rain of "Days."
"It's Real"
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