The Main Thing vinyl

It took a full year to craft the latest from Real Estate, a year that was spent in upstate New York, at Marcata Recording. Hardly irrelevant background information, from the moment you press play the finesse of "The Main Thing" is immediately clear. This is a highly polished record on which every nuance and note has been deeply considered. Opening on the wonderfully poised and smooth "Friday", which boasts an intro that almost feels like the dawn of a new day, gentle guitars slowly growing and emerging into a dreamy, woozy delight, there's more than a hint of the 1960s to chords and lyricism. Perhaps conversely, shades of disco can be heard in "Paper Cup", a track that features Sylvan Esso as guests - strings invoking halcyon days of hedonism before things settle into a rolling, easy to love track. Similar nods to electronic ends are found in the beat of "Silent World", while "Procession" is a hazy summer afternoon spent lounging.