Monday, January 18, 2010

The Summertime Haze of Real Estate

Psych surf sounds like the wrong way to describe Real Estate, the titular debut of the Jersey born band. It isn't quite classically surf rock like Dick Dale or Link Wray and it is somewhat hazier and covered in a thin veil of darkness to be as sunny as The Beach Boys. It's psychedelia, but never hard rocking and it's pop music, but it's never over produced. Real Estate is the album I missed last year that has potential to be a lasting favorite. There seems to be something much more honest and special about this group. The first track, "Beach Comber", comes in slowly and drifts up to your ears as it's drum beat shuffles in from the haze and the guitar picks away at a catchy little riff. It's simplistic music but the production, rife with the white washed glow of a summers day at the beach allowing all the optimism of a vacation come through in the calming sound, still has some uncertainty to it. The opening lyric "What you want is just outside your reach/You keep on searchin’" is of that wondering spirit many get with just a moment that the music conveys. That clouded, summertime restlessness. The music is perfect for that feeling. "Pool Swimmers" is that twilight feel of sneaking into backyards to find a spot for night swimming and the song is filled with an eerie joy. "Atlantic City" is an instrumental groove jam that sounds like the euphoria and depression that you get at the same time from entering the casinos. If anything, Real Estate may be the perfect album for dreaming of the summer. If anything, the group have been my crutch through this cold New Jersey winter. I can't wait for this record to become the soundtrack for relaxing down the Jersey shore, where the inspiration for the record came.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.