The Distance To The Next Star

Real Estate “After the Moon”

Nearly all of Real Estate’s songs feel like they take place at some point in the afternoon. Maybe one will feel like 1 PM on sunny Saturday in April, or another more like an overcast 3 PM on a Sunday in September. But there’s something in the band’s guitar tone that has the ring of daylight to it, and something in Martin Courtney’s voice that expresses a very minor sort of melancholy that guarantees a “enjoy this nice moment while it lasts” subtext to every tune. “After the Moon” is the first Real Estate song I’ve heard that sounds like a night song – a little slower, a little more delicate, some suggestion of moonlight in the timbre of the chords. Courtney must agree with this impression of the music, as his lyrics fixate on the night as well. There’s a sadness and frustration in his words, but the sound of it is incredibly placid. Even as the negative feelings come out, they seem to almost immediately dissipate.

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