December 1, 2014

8. Atlas / Real Estate

Atlas
Atlas is another hazy, nostalgia-riddled guitar record with no ambition beyond self-reflection.  The ambient quality to Real Estate’s guitar interplay is sublime and reassuring.  The quiet songs are not intended to build and climax; they slowly unravel like a homemade kaleidoscope, offering glimpses of fleeting moments as they pass.  Warm, shimmering, golden.

The New Jersey band sounds more confident and direct on their third record, even as they tackle themes of leaving youth behind and experiencing the excitement and anxiety of adult relationships. "Talking Backwards" may be the sweetest take on the conversational conundrums every newlywed shares, as lead vocalist/guitarist Martin Courtney can now attest.  Though there is no single moment as transcendent as “It’s Real” from Days, this is the band's strongest effort to date, assured, cohesive, and radiant.

Guitarists Courtney and Matt Mondanile are childhood friends, and when they lock in on lustrous, intricate rhythms together, it is apparent they have a tightly-knit bond with each other, musical or otherwise.  Watching them play a small room this year was special; their chord progressions and complicated fingerwork are capable of placing listeners in a trance, and the resulting tones appear to be effortless.  Take your hand at "Crime," as they are nice enough to provide you the guitar tabs.

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