Real Estate - Daniel

2024 is Real Estate's fifteenth year as a band. To mark the occasion, the New Jersey alt-pop outfit are back with their seventh album, 'Daniel'.

The album carries all the calm confidence you would expect from such an experienced group, with the sunny sounds and up-tempo beats really seeming like a celebration of all the band have experienced since their inception in 2009. The organic production on 'Haunted World', allowing the jangling acoustic guitar to contrast with the decidedly darker lyric ('this haunted world is killing me'. This feeling persists throughout the record, most notably on toe-tapper' Water Underground' and closing epic 'You Are Here'.

The band haven't rested on their laurels, though, and their choice to record 'Daniel' in Nashville pays dividends. Getting the boys out of their native New Jersey sees them delve into more traditional Americana, with reference to Neil Young's era-defining 'Harvest Moon' in 'Say No More' pointing to a folk influence that permeates through the album. There is also a deep dive into Nashville's musical roots, with straight-up country song 'Victoria' providing an unexpected but not unwelcome turn away from the album's dream-pop foundations.

The word to describe Real Estate's newest offering is timeless. It's a record that feels like a real celebration of all the band have achieved, without feeling as if they've run out of ideas. A stalwart of American dream-pop, they continue to push the genre forward without losing their identity, making this yet another standout moment in Real Estate's enviable career.