Real Estate - Real Estate (Vinyl) - Vinyl

At first, Real Estate seems like another in a long line of cryptically search-proof band names, but the group's self-titled album proves that their moniker makes perfect sense. The band excels at finding the bittersweet, whimsical, and poetic in everyday suburban life -- the real life behind real estate. They carry on this tradition from bands like Pavement, and echoes of that band's laid-back, rough-around-the-edges beauty can be heard in their hazy jangle (shades of Galaxie 500, the Clean, Yo La Tengo and Oh, Inverted World-era Shins soft-focus melancholy also pop up from time to time). It's no coincidence that two of Real Estate's finest moments have "suburban" in their titles. "Suburban Dogs" spins a tale of comfortable confinement, its looping melody and guitars reinforcing its gentle constriction as Martin Courtney sings "suburban dogs are in love with their chains." And while "Suburban Beverage"'s lyrics -- which consist mostly of "Budweiser, Sprite, do you feel all right?" -- a