Real Estate

One of the more pleasing trends in supposedly trendy music in recent years centered on the rise of lo-fi artists who avoid sonically debased fuzz, instead submerging their pop in warm swirls of reverb and open space. Real Estate takes advantage of the breathing room this approach offers for musicianship and emotional impact. The songs of the band’s 2009 self-titled debut search around as much as they soothe—and those songs, as well as the handful of EPs and singles the band has released since, use glittery guitars and spacey noise in the service of melody, rather than sloppy texture. The band’s 2011 record, Days, continues that trend, all the while combining melancholy lyrics with intricate guitar pop.

Updated 04/19/2012