Days [CD]

New Jersey's Real Estate excel for the most part on their second album, 'Days'; a collection of catchy if slightly indistinct fuzzy indie-pop/rock gems. 'It's Real', the one track from the album to get a bit of genuine radio play this side of the pond is probably the album's highlight - an irresistibly catchy, bouncy song full of 'oh-oh-ohhh''s and melodic, reverb-heavy guitar. The rest of the album is along the same lines, slightly too much so in fact; with a lack of variety being the main criticism I'd level at the album. Singer Martin Courtney's voice is also quite often too far back into the mix of songs to get its full impact across - but he gets a chance to properly air it on the album's superb closer 'All the Same', a track which feels both fresh and modern, whilst also bringing back echoes of the jangly guitar of bands from The Byrds to The Stone Roses. And it's this that makes Real Estate such an appealing band. They've adapted a lot of what made various genres great, from the fuzzy pop of Slumberland bands to the polished, complex melodies of more recent acts like The New Pornographers; and injected a new kind of laid-back vibrancy. The band as a whole are technically skilled, meaning that whilst 'Days' could do with a few more variations in style, they're musically adept enough to stop things from feeling too repetitive; and Real Estate do clearly have an ear for a pleasing, sunny rhythm.

One or two tracks feel a bit more filler than killer on 'Days', most notably the dull instrumental 'Kinder Blumen' and the underwhelming 'The Wonder Years', but they're more than made up for by the bittersweet fingerpicking of 'Green Aisles', and the youthful yearning of 'Three Blocks'. On 'Days', Real Estate have honed and improved the sound which made their debut album a likeable but rather inconsistent one. Whilst they could do with exploring some new directions musically, Real Estate are a band with serious promise, who have produced a really good record with 'Days'. Relaxed, summery and with a knowing tinge of sadness, it's an album with a good feel about it; and a band with more than enough musical skill to make that feeling translate. I'd certainly recommend this album, and look forward to seeing where Real Estate go with their next release.

No one creates such a peerless soundtrack evoking a lazy, Endless Summer like Real Estate. The eponymous debut LP was a fantastic, fuzzy beach bum's daydream that quickly became a favourite of mine to banish the blues and accompany the sunshine. The follow up is more of the same blissful 80s inspired jangle but boasting its tunes this time round with a clear, crisp production reminiscent of Stephen Street's work with The Smiths. Calling it stoner music does it a great disservice - the mood is more of an innocent breeziness and the musicianship is so tight and entrancing it's hardly the aimless jamming the phrase conjures.

As before I imagine for the first-time listener it will take a few listens for the distinct mood to wash over and take a hold. A criticism often levelled at Real Estate is that the songs can seem repetitive but this misses the point - it is meant to be a trance-like flow, creating a locked groove from a perfectly formed riff and running with it. This is how a cohesive album with a statement of intent should be. Closer repeat listens reveal beautiful, subtle little details in percussion, phazing guitars and vocal harmonizing which dip in and out of the mix. I wonder whether closing track 'All The Same's title is accompanied by a wry smile from the band...

It's kind of pointless to separate out tracks but the singalong joy of 'It's Real' is an irresistible woozy pop rush that stands out.

This is getting heavy rotation in my car and is destined to be the soundtrack of this summer for me - if you have room in your heart for this kind of chiming guitar pop, you'll rarely find better.

I can't make my mind up about this one. On first play, I really liked the album. Nice jangly songs with a solid pop hart. Then over the next few listens I started to get bored. Some of the songs are quite long and the riffs go on and on and on. I'm a big fan of this type of music, but I just felt that the songs had little substance and weren't that strong. However, having come back to the album after a few weeks, I've been enjoying it a lot more discovering some subtle depths to the arrangements and am generally becoming favourably inclined towards the NJ combo. Not a very useful review, I know. I'd definitely recommend a listen...or two...or even ten. They aren't going to change the world but they might leave a smile on your face.