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Friday 6th April 2012
All Day BBQ Festival

Sparrow and the Workshop
6 Day Riot
The Nuns
Singing Adams
Y Niwl
Colours
Dignan Porch
+more tbc

The Windmill
Brixton
Price tbc

On Our iPod

Golden Grrrls - New Pop 7”

Chris Devotion & The Expectations - Amalgamation & Capital (album)

Trailer Trash Tracys - Ester (album)

Throwing Up - Mother Knows Best 7”

Howling Wolf - Complete Chess Masters 1951-60

The Ketamines - A Rotten Bond/1 Yr (from Oddbox Singles Club Pt 2)

Cardinal - Hymns (album)

Proper Ornaments - Taking the Gamble Out of Buying 12”

Darren Hayman - January Songs (album)

Various: Marshall Teller EP 12”

Latest Forum Posts

Album Review

Real Estate
Reality EP Mexican Summer

Article written by Peter W - Feb 19, 2010

Real Estate’s enjoyable debut was the sound of dozing on a sun-blanched Tennessee porch, coupled with someone desperately trying to recollect a drug-fuelled beach party. If there was any criticism however, it would perhaps be that it occasionally felt too loose, or frustratingly undercooked; for every fine psychedelic interlude there was a slightly predictable, rather dull, jam.

This new, six-track EP finds the New Jersey quartet in a more relaxed, contemplative mood and for the most part, it’s a cohesive and satisfying listen.

Opener ‘Motorbikes’ sets the tone perfectly with its laid back, demo-like charm and background birdsong. The gorgeous ‘Basement’ continues the gentle pace but adds melancholic strumming and memory-strewn lyrics to the mix. Reminiscing about classrooms, beaches and, yep, basements, frontman Martin Courtney may sigh his way through the song but this isn’t a peaceful, hazy recollection but more a five minute lament.

The stripped-down (solo?) ‘Drum’ meanders along pleasantly, but the instrumental ‘Saturday Morning’ feels ill-placed with its rather cheesy guitar effects and apparent machine-operated drums. It belongs on a 70s lounge compilation. Thankfully the band swiftly return to more familiar territory and with a corker to boot - ‘Younger than Yesterday’ has the quiet menace of an Arthur Lee tune and its rather gentle, repetitive guitar line always threatens, but never quite manages, to rock out; if it had to be labelled dreamy then said dream would be an unsettling, slightly paranoid one. Courtney wearily complains “there’s too much to focus on” and it only adds to the tune’s ominous feel - a real gem.

The EP finishes with the band playing it safe and a tad by-numbers, but the delightful harmonies of ‘Dumb Luck’ ensure a decent enough climax. Reality isn’t going to win the band an army of new admirers, but fans of their debut album will surely consider it a fine addition to the Real Estate canon. Roll on Album #2.

Links:
http://mexicansummer.com/
http://www.myspace.com/realestate