MP3 of the Day: Real Estate

​I've been taking a lot of road trips this fall--drives out to the ocean, up to the Russian River, basically taking advantage of the sun while we have it and my car while it still has all four wheels. The one constant with all these local treks is having the right soundtrack. And recently that's meant the new self-titled release by Real Estate.

The album, out today on Woodsist, is a beautiful batch of lackadaisical pop. There's an undercurrent of the weird folk thing going on here, with the emphasis on organic percussion, psychedelic melodies, and vocals that hover lightly above the instruments.

The New Jersey band shares a sonic--and label--connection with Woods, whose laid back, ebullient pop has a similarly loose back porch jam vibe. But there's also a sweet dreamy glaze to Real Estate's music, a stoned Yo La Tengo vibe that counters their crunchier bits perfectly.

My favorite song on Real Estate is "Beach Comber", a tune that's sunny and melancholy at once, perfect really for those drives through the trees where that vacation freedom is fleeting and intoxicating all at once. One other thing to note about the new record: Real Estate is up for album art of the year in my book for this one. What the hell is that thing, anyway?

Real Estate comes to the Hemlock on Friday, Nov. 20.