Despite releasing nothing as Real Estate this year, the New Jersey indie band’s members have not been idle. Frontman Martin Courtney’s solo debut follows an album from guitarist Matt Mondanile’s Ducktails side project; bassist Alex Bleeker’s own effort follows in December. Many Moons features many of the hallmarks of Courtney’s parent band: subtly insidious melodies and songwriting craft (think Teenage Fanclub, Yo La Tengo or Big Star at their least angst-ridden) triumph over superficial flash, and a gently unhurried mood pervades throughout. However, while there are some lovely moments here, particularly the dreamlike Foto, ultimately some of the material sounds so polished it’s been rendered a little featureless (Little Blue, the title track). A little more grit wouldn’t have gone amiss.
