By Colette Custin
One of the most talented indie rock bands currently out there, New Jersey’s Real Estate showcased a long set of lush, melodic tunes at Thalia Hall on Tuesday in support of new album Daniel (which features new single “Water Underground,” one of the show’s highlights).
Singer/guitarist Martin Courtney and bassist Alex Bleeker bantered with the crowd throughout the night, and the band’s love for Chicago was evident from the start. “Had to Hear” and “Talking Backwards” from 2014’s Atlas were introduced as having been recorded in Chicago, and the capacity crowd’s enthusiastic response gave pause; given the mass popularity of a band like Mumford and Sons, it’s tough to see how Real Estate hasn’t broken through to the mainstream with hooks like those in “Darling” from In Mind and It’s Real from 2009’s Days.
Courtney’s vocals are always soft and contemplative but never sugary, and the band’s arrangements are deceptively complex, as evidenced in the guitar and bass interplay of “Say No More.” Then again, perhaps it doesn’t matter – given the sold-out show at one of Chicago’s best venues, Real Estate has clearly found their niche, and no one does their style of ‘infinite jangle’—as the tour moniker suggests—any better.
Real Estate (Thalia Hall, Chicago, 4/11/2024)
Flowers
Say No More
Had to Hear
Green Aisles Talking Backwards Water Underground Haunted World Crime
November
Wonder Years Freeze Brain
Half a Human Darling
You
Paper Cup
It’s Real
Somebody New Interior
Pool Swimmers Saturday
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