Albums to watch

Atlas

Real Estate

Atlas

Third album of psychedelic surf pop from the Ridgewood, New Jersey band

ADM rating[?]

7.4

Label
Domino
UK Release date
03/02/2014
US Release date
04/02/2014
  1. 9.0 |   The Fly

    ‘Atlas’ was partly written while cruising through the Arizona desert; you might call it their ‘road-movie’ album
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  2. 8.8 |   Paste Magazine

    Atlas might seem like an obvious career peak were this not the work of a still-young band that, from the start, has been predisposed toward graceful maturation.
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  3. 8.8 |   Pitchfork

    They’ve made the first record of their career that feels like it might teach you something over time. It is rare, and special, for a band to be this effortlessly and completely themselves
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  4. 8.3 |   Pretty Much Amazing

    In one of the most intriguing breaks from Days, Atlas dabbles in chunky alt-country melodies that fit nicely within the band’s slow but steady expansion into various American genres
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  5. 8.3 |   Consequence Of Sound

    In line with this new focus, the chords and arrangements on Atlas are the densest Real Estate have ever attempted
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  6. 8.0 |   FasterLouder

    It’s a mature album, and it delivers generously for fans
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  7. 8.0 |   Slant Magazine

    At its core, Atlas is an album about relationships and the passing of time; it frequently speaks to a certain intangible distance that's always present between loved ones, and how attempting to tightly grip something so fragile can be a soul-crushing task
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  8. 8.0 |   Under The Radar

    Real Estate is just really good at crafting songs that feel easy and natural
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  9. 8.0 |   The List

    Few contemporaries top this New Jersey group for sheer all-moods, all-weather, all-hours listenability
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  10. 8.0 |   musicOMH

    Another excellent album from a band who know how to play to their strengths
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  11. 8.0 |   NME

    Whatever the past has made them. Real Estate can now slip over the horizon and make their own memories. Print edition only

  12. 8.0 |   Q

    An album that deserves more than just to be a well-loved cult concern. Print edition only

  13. 8.0 |   Mojo

    Charm, tunes and a certain hazy vision - Real Estate have them in abundance. Print edition only

  14. 8.0 |   DIY

    They're either the band countering a hazy glow with sharp pop songwriting, or they're up to their neck in good vibes, unable to express anything from beneath the fog. They've never sounded sharper, that's for sure
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  15. 8.0 |   Uncut

    A ravishing third album from jangling romantics
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  16. 8.0 |   The Line Of Best Fit

    There’ll be plenty of albums this year that grab you by the throat more vigorously than Atlas does, but very few of them will be quite as lovingly nuanced – and none will make the guitar sound anything like as appealing
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  17. 8.0 |   The Guardian

    Caught between a blissed-out Byrdsy summer of love and Deerhunter's gawky awkwardness, while shimmering slacker guitars heighten a sense of nostalgia
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  18. 8.0 |   The Observer

    On first listen, their third album sounds undercooked but dig deep and, gradually, the five-piece are revealed as a tranquil indie-rock outfit
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  19. 8.0 |   All Music

    Real Estate grow even further into the sound they've been spinning for themselves, mellowing more while they become more nuanced in both playing and production
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  20. 8.0 |   No Ripcord

    As simple and unchallenging as Atlas is, it’s undoubtedly the group’s most emotionally resonant album
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  21. 7.0 |   Drowned In Sound

    Courtney's songs circle around the suburbs, but they never really leave – they can’t. The point is the journey, rather than the destination
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  22. 7.0 |   Clash

    These New Jersey musicians show no signs of ending their upward trajectory: ‘Atlas’ is full of seemingly effortless, ageless, guitar-driven songcraft
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  23. 7.0 |   Rolling Stone

    Their third LP refines the approach with keyboardist Matt Kallman, allowing guitarists Martin Courtney and Matt Mondanile more curlicue time and adding a spacier vibe
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  24. 7.0 |   Loud And Quiet

    Whilst jangling melancholic pop is nothing new, rarely is it as atmospheric and evocative as it is here
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  25. 6.0 |   State

    Real Estate continue the good steady work here, but you get the feeling if they went off grid a little bit they could come up with something a bit special
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  26. 6.0 |   The 405

    Whilst there's nothing - repeat, nothing - wrong with the band's core idea, you just wonder how long the goodwill afforded to it can last
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  27. 6.0 |   The Music

    While some listeners will hear the same song ten times over, others with more aptitude will enjoy the subtle shifts and intricacies
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  28. 6.0 |   Evening Standard

    The songs are taut and unfussy, though rarely arresting
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  29. 5.8 |   A.V. Club

    The Real Estate of Days was eager to take the listener off guard, to show off its ample musicianship through tunefully off-kilter songs. In contrast, the band that made Atlas seems to be hesitatingly wondering what to do next
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  30. 4.0 |   PopMatters

    With such of wealth of new music competing for our ears, the gruel-bland stylings of Atlas barely merit a chance listen
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  31. 4.0 |   The Skinny

    It’s cute enough, but it’s not much of a thrill ride
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Real Estate: Atlas

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