Album Review: Real Estate - Atlas

The third album from the New Jersey indie band was written in and around various locations in the US and Spain during 2013 and subsequently recorded in Chicago with Matt Kallman (formerly of Girls) adding keys to the now official five-person line-up. It's a tried and tested formula and as far as the term 'easy-listening' goes, these dudes have it in spades. Never aurally offensive, there are remnants of other bands like Wilco and maybe some Pavement along with other faux-country Americana bands, and the record as a whole is a slow-cooked affair, an album that embraces basting in its own juices to ensure maximum flavour.
The lead single, Talking Backwards lolls about in an incandescent and meandering way, not following any discernible trail, and most of the other songs on the album follow suit. There's a nice little psych outro on The Bend and indeed the album could be played during any number of moods and situations. The accompanying presser itself declares the album conjures “quiet late night drives down wooded highways… and hazy summer evenings spent alone,” but it would also be well-suited to a session on the can on a Sunday morning after a big night out the evening before – yes, Atlas will definitely help put you at ease and keep you regular.
While some listeners will hear the same song ten times over, others with more aptitude will enjoy the subtle shifts and intricacies, and will certainly appreciate the changes of timbre that permeate backwards and sideways throughout the album; less is certainly more on this one.