18th October - Real Estate's Days

Artist – Album: Real Estate - Days

Released: 18^th October 2011

Sounds Like: Good to my right ear

Disaster! On my walk into work yesterday morning I lost the rubber bits that go around earphones, the bits that prevent them from piercing my eardrums and making me really very sore. As the majority of my Albumaday… sampling is made on the 40-minute walk to and from work, this has seriously hindered my blogability. For today I dusted off my ancient pair, family heirlooms that were crafted around the time of the French revolution, but even these are only half working and everything I listen to them is in mono. Until I buy a new pair in the next few days, therefore, everything will be reviewed by my right ear only. First world problems eh?

One band that strikes me as untroubled by first world problems, third world problems, or indeed anything at all, are Real Estate. For them everything seems so easy: in their melodic, jangly indie-pop, in Martin Courtney’s drifting vocals and in their calming lyrics. Even love, that most tricky of subjects, is given the nonchalant Real Estate treatment on the excellent ‘It’s Real’ – Courtney doesn’t need bombast or melodrama, he only needs to simply state “believe me when I say, it’s real” and your heart melts.

‘Younger Than Yesterday’ seems to be unrelated to the Byrds album of the same name, but it’s quite a fitting reference. Comparisons with R.E.M and The Feelies are also bang on the mark, but The Byrds are the spiritual forefathers of all three, masters of the gorgeous guitar work and sweetly worn turn of phrase. Their sound is so lovely that it has barely needed updating since the Sixties, and so the main difference between them and these is that, where The Byrds were spitting feathers over ‘fake’ bands like The Monkees, Real Estate have no worries at all.

Albumaday... rating: 8/10

1.       Easy – 3:53

2.       Green Aisles – 5:01

3.       It’s Real – 2:48

4.       Kinder Blumen – 3:55

5.       Out of Tune – 4:51

6.       Municipality – 3:36

7.       Wonder Years – 2:34

8.       Three Blocks – 3:18

9.       Younger Than Yesterday – 4:08

10.   All the Same – 7:21

Listen to ‘It’s Real’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HWcViTXdYc

Also released on 18^th October:

2005: Animal Collective - Feels

Also released on 18^th October:

2011: M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming

13th July - The Beach Boys' All Summer Long

Artist – Album: The Beach Boys – All Summer Long

Released:  13^th July 1964

Sounds Like: We’ve been having fun all summer long

Sometimes the listening circumstances seriously affect how much you appreciate an album. A Sigur Rós effort, for example, is best served on a bright but frosty morning. Joy Division are great when the sky is blanketed in metallic coloured grey clouds, whilst it’s best to listen to Metallica when the world has turned apocalyptic. The situation for today’s album – driving around in my little car with my friends through a sun scorched city – was perfectly suited to the Beach Boys’ All Summer Long.

The belting classic of ‘I Get Around’ notwithstanding, the album doesn’t contain too many of their well known songs, but don’t let that put you off. As is the norm with the Beach Boys at their best, all of the songs here are instantly memorable and enjoyable: play it through once to love it, play it through twice and you’re already singing along.  The very best are the sunny ‘Girls on the Beach’, the sumptuous doo-wop cover of The Mystics’ ‘Hushabye’, the insanely catchy hot rod anthem ‘Little Honda’ and the nostalgic title track, which perfectly encapsulates the late September evening feeling whilst looking back on a wonderful summer.

The record isn’t perfect – there’s the 50’s pastiche ‘Do You Remember’, which wins the Albumaday... No-Shit-Sherlock Line of the Day© "Elvis Presley’s the king, he’s the giant of the day", and the god awful comedy bit ‘Our Favourite Recording Sessions’. ‘Wendy’ , which for the most part is a beautiful and elegantly sad song, is seriously let down by a horrific, clinky organ solo.

Fortunately the misses are in the minority, and the imperfections really just make it all the more endearing. Seriously, it’s great!

Albumaday... rating: 8/10

1.       I Get Around – 2:14

2.       All Summer Long – 2:08

3.       Hushabye – 2:41

4.       Little Honda – 1:52

5.       We’ll Run Away – 2:02

6.       Carl’s Big Chance – 2:03

7.       Wendy – 2:21

8.       Do You Remember? – 1:40

9.       Girls on the Beach – 2:28

10.   Our Favourite Recoding Sessions – 2:00

11.   Don’t Back Down – 1:52

Listen to ‘All Summer Long’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2smDXr13EJE