Real Estate – ‘Daniel’ Album review: A familiar slice of summery simplicity
THE SKINNY: It feels cheap to pin down the upbeat vocal melody and major chords as being ‘summery’, but that seems like an appropriate description for the new Real Estate album, Daniel. It sounds as though you have been planted firmly between frames 34 and 35 of a convertible advert; bright colours and happy faces show you a future far from the grey skies that linger overhead, and it’s a beautiful ride.
This album feels as if someone were to plug a guitar into a blooming orange tree. The sounds are incredibly natural, nothing in the music appears forced, and the final product is stunning. Chord progressions are bright and cheerful, drum patterns are easy to nod to, and the lyrics are delivered perfectly. There is no doubt that the sounds of Daniel will be occupying kitchen speakers worldwide throughout the summer, and people will walk with an added spring in their step because of it.
It’s hard to critique a record that is as pleasant as this is, but there is a slight fault with it. Call it a fault; it’s not, given the songs are incredibly sweet-sounding, but there isn’t a tremendous amount of versatility throughout the nearly 40-minute run time. The guitar parts begin to merge into one slightly, and while the lyrical melody in each song is lovely, it is also challenging to separate them from each other. There are some slight tonal changes, ‘Freeze Brain’ has a different bounce to it and ‘Interior’ is more stripped back, but it’s not enough to keep a listener as thoroughly engaged as the band might like.
Criticism aside, Daniel is a reflection in a swimming pool on a warm day. As water ripples and we see ourselves staring back, there is a smile on our faces and a song in our hearts. This album will make you happy; there is no getting away from it, and the only objection is that it does begin to repeat itself slightly as the tracklist runs on. This is an LP you can look forward to listening to and growing familiar with, to the point you get to know it on a first-name basis.
For Fans Of: Sunshine, flowers, and anything that grows naturally and can be blended into some kind of oil that makes your skin smoother.
A concluding comment from The Lorax: “This is the utopia I’m fucking fighting for!!”
Daniel track by track:
‘Somebody New’: It sounds like summer in a song as images of friends frolicking and cars with windows rolled down spring to mind. The vocal melody is one of the catchiest that an opening song has ever heard. That being said, you’ve heard everything you need to in this three-minute-long song within the first 45 seconds. [3/5]
‘Haunted World’: Trickling guitar talks of sunshine and a haunted world killing fill what is generally an upbeat and positive-sounding tune. The vocals are beautiful and well put together, as the chorus is firmly pinned in your ears before it’s even finished. [3.5/5]
‘Water Underground’: This song is an indie bop waltz. Reminiscent of dancing barefoot on grass, it’s hard to drum up any bad words about it. [4/5]
‘Flowers’: A faster guitar gives this short and snappy number more of an oomph. The vocals bring that intensity down slightly, as they remain the sweet-sounding serenade we experience throughout the first three tracks, but there is a slight tonal change here, which is refreshing. [3.5/5]
‘Interior’: As we near the halfway point, the album gives us a more stripped-back number. In lieu of drums for the first third of the song, ‘Interior’ sounds raw and honest. Once a beat eventually comes in, it is reminiscent of what we are beginning to grow familiar with. [3/5]
‘Freeze Brain’: There is a bouncy feel to this song. The drums kick in first, and the lyrics are more sporadic throughout the chorus; it has a Screamadelica feel to it, as if Screamadelica were written by a lavender farmer. [4.5/5]
‘Say No More’: Layers of plucking guitars and strummed chords flood speakers as we near the end of the album. The lyrics are a lot fuller, as backing tracks are placed on top of one another throughout the chorus. [3.5/5]
‘Airdrop’: A shimmering synth in the background is a lovely addition to the blissful instrumentation of this song. Lay down in a field and put this on; you won’t regret it. [3.5/5]
‘Victoria’: There is a subtle country twang to this track. Vocals have a midwestern inversion, and the drums have a galloping feel. It’s nice, but it doesn’t separate itself from the rest of the album; as we near the end, it does start to feel like we’re nine songs in… [3/5]
‘Market Street’: The sound and style are now something we’re accustomed to. It’s not a bad thing, as it’s beautiful, but it feels as though a gorgeous song like ‘Market Street’ is somewhat overlooked as it mirrors the half an hour of music it leaves behind. [3/5]
‘You Are Here’: An epic way to end this album. Stadium-like in its psychedelic magnitude, ‘You Are Here’ wraps a bow around this present of a record. [5/5]
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