‘Well hello, it’s me again, I’m at your door come let me in…’ A profound statement to open up Matthew Mondaline’s latest offering from his side project to Real Estate. Yet this time he seems to have stepped things up a little with Ducktails, allowing the project to exit his bedroom and presenting them for the first time as a band of equal competence with album number four, The Flower Lane.
The previous three Ducktails albums, right up to 2011′s Ducktails III: Arcade Dynamics haven’t been particularly strong in the ‘song’ department (perhaps with the exception of the Panda Bear assisted Killing The Vibe). They provided a blissfully reverberated bridge between eagerly anticipated Real Estate releases. Yet the latest record seems to have a bit more to say, making attempts to incorporate ‘songs’ whilst retaining much of the emptiness we have learnt to expect from Ducktails.
With the backing of New Jersey power pop outfit Big Troubles reinforcing what had once been a solitary pursuit, this record is far less detached from the Real Estate sound, with textures very distinctive of the ‘other’ group who are yet put out a long playing follow up to 2011′s Days. Things have also got a little more serious, with The Flower Lane being the first Ducktails record to be brought out on Domino.
Since the last record, the approach to production has moved up a few notches in terms of ‘fi’, no longer sounding as though everything has been recorded straight to Sony Walkman. Swirling phasers, long delays and soft rock electric pianos work together to fashion some sort of sonic kaleidoscope that is inescapably 90′s.
It seems to be the done thing right now within the dream-pop/glo-fi/chill-wave scene, with artists such as Mac DeMarco and Melody’s Echo Chamber borrowing an aesthetic not too dissimilar from the likes of Stephen Malkmus and his Silver Jews. And great though it may be, it seems not nearly far enough behind us to be considered retro…
The album comprises of a total of 10 tracks, all of which are well executed but can at times be humdrum and forgettable. The third track Under Cover is a personal favourite, a simple song that is both upbeat and enchanting, designed to send you drifting whilst an E-Street sax plays out.
Sedan Magic introduces a blissful chorus from Madeline Follin of Cults, bringing to the table a summer vibe that’s perhaps poorly timed for the albums late-january release but will sit nicely if the sun shows itself over the coming months. Her contribution to the record is perhaps one of it’s most interesting elements, and with any luck marks the start of what could be a promising partnership. Mondaline steps aside from his vocal duties for Letter of Intent, allowing a dreamy tale of love to unfold through the guest vocals provided by Future Shuttle’s Jessa Farkas alongside Big Troubles’ Ian Drennan. Both guest appearances certainly bring another dimension to the record and some depth to what could other wise be a bit lacking in transients.
The album is brought to a close with Academy Avenue, a song that could almost have been taken straight off of Kurt Vile’s Smoke Ring For My Halo with it’s free falling acoustic guitar and lyrical ambiguity. The record ends as if it was never there, with the ensuing silence feeling like a mere continuation of Mondaline’s 40 minutes of serene background music.
It’s difficult to imagine this style of music sticking around for long. Once the festival season has had it’s way with it we’ll be onto the next thing. A lot of attention appears to have been paid towards the albums aesthetic, resulting in something that could be seen to be ‘throw-away’. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Why should music be made to last? It represents a moment in time, and so long as Mondaline continues to do what he’s doing I’m sure we’ll remember him longer than we’ll remember this album.
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