Perry's Pick: Real Estate

Real Estate's debut self-titled album is like a modern day, east-coast Pet Sounds. Released in November, the album lacks the poppy harmonies of the Beach Boys, but is filled with sun-soaked jangly guitar, cheerful rhythms, and reverbed vocals. Real Estate screams Southern California, but the band resides in New Jersey and fits in unusually well with the surrounding indie scene. Their echoey eeriness draws similarities to Fleet Foxes and early My Morning Jacket, but is upbeat enough to possess a certain lightheartedness that continues throughout most of the album. The leadoff track, "Beach Comber" has already sprinted its way into regular rotation on college radio waves everywhere. A sun-drenched foot-stomper, the tune is a fine display of modern psychedelics and is the closest they come to a classic pop sound. Other tunes such as "Let's Rock the Beach" and "Suburban Dogs," maintain a summery feel while slowing the pace and putting more emphasis on the lyrical front. The album ender, "Snow Days" is another personal favorite, filled with beautiful acoustic progressions despite its cold and hollow sound. The band has certainly covered a wide spectrum of colors, sounds, and emotions on their debut album, but the future will tell whether Real Estate will achieve success on the road and in future songwriting efforts. Much of the appeal of Real Estate is from their nostalgic qualities. The band gets a classic sound reminiscent of The Clean, Skip Spence, and Dennis Wilson, which hits a sweet spot with today's psychedelic junkie or open-minded hipster. Keep an eye out for Real Estate in 2010 and be sure to pick up a copy of their new album, Real Estate, which is in stores now.



myspace.com/realestate