Indie rock mainstays Real Estate share 'Haunted World', a great taste of the forthcoming album Daniel out on February 23 via Domino Records.
The chiming guitars and plaintive verses of ‘Haunted World’ summon the band that first emerged to acclaim in 2009, with Martin Courtney doing his best to sing his way around existential confusion. But in the chorus, dexterous instrumental harmonies and faint backing vocals propel the song anew, its tight hook snagging in a second. Tashian suggested they fortify the refrain, and he was right.
Of the track, Courtney says: “‘Haunted World’ sounds like a 90s sitcom theme to us. Network execs – this song is available and we are ready and willing to sell to the highest bidder. We’re super happy with how this one turned out. We had a nice arrangement worked out before we headed to Nashville to record, but it really came to life in the studio. Sometimes a song will surprise you like that.”
Listen to ‘Haunted World’ by Real Estate on the F1 Tracks Playlist on Spotify.
The sixth full-length from the New Jersey natives – Martin Courtney (vocals, guitar), Alex Bleeker (bass, vocals), Matt Kallman (keyboards), Julian Lynch (guitar) and Sammi Niss (drums) – Daniel sports 11 new songs recorded with GRAMMY-winning producer Daniel Tashian (Kacey Musgraves) during an ebullient nine-day spree at RCA Studio A in Nashville.
The songs on Daniel are effortless but artful. They shimmer and radiate without hesitation or second guesses, and they connect the uninhibited wonder of Real Estate’s earliest work with the earned perspective of adulthood. Daniel sounds like classic Real Estate, simply leveled up with the subtle but unabashed touches of a producer who has actually lived inside pop powerhouses.
In Nashville, Real Estate shared a rental, cutting up in close quarters after the imposition of separation of these last few years. Several days into recording, they were discussing album titles when someone suggested Daniel, simply because it seemed like a good idea to bestow a human name upon a record. Was it for Daniel Tashian? Maybe. Was it the sign of a band that has now been around long enough to take its music seriously without taking itself or its perception too seriously? Absolutely.
In anticipation of the release of Daniel, Martin and Alex will be in the UK for an acoustic instore and signing at London’s Rough Trade East on February 6.
Real Estate also announces that they will be playing a “Daniel-Only” album release show at Union Pool in New York om February, 22. Admission is free with RSVP but guests must have a first, middle or last name of Daniel (Dan, Danielle, Danny, Daniella, Danielson, etc) to enter. Non-Daniel +1s are allowed. Space is limited; first come, first served. This show is in addition to the band’s extensive Spring North American tour, beginning March in Vancouver and running until May 26 in Atlanta.
