New Jersey's idiosyncratic indie rock outfit Real Estate impress once again on their third studio album, Atlas.
Picking up where they left off on 2011's highly acclaimed Days, the band delve deeper into the dreamy jangle-pop aesthetic that has served them so well.
It's unmistakably a Real Estate record, but one that is perhaps more intimate and romantic than before. The entire album is dripping in a sense of nostalgia, conjuring images of peaceful summers with the band's trademark sun-streaked, hazy, jangling guitars. There's a laidback and breezy atmosphere, but entangled with wistful lyrics creating this evocative and intimate feeling.
The intricate musicianship on Atlas emphasises the mature and perceptive songwriting as well as the clever arrangement. It may sound chilled, but this is not a chill out album. It is a personal record with a sparse sound that brings you into Real Estate's understated, quiet but ultimately colourful and uplifting world.
The Real Estate sound is refined as ever on Atlas; it's the clearest expression of their artistic vision to date.
3 out of 5
