Ducktails
The Flower Lane
3 stars
Pop/Rock
Ducktails, the solo project of Real Estate guitarist Matthew Mondanile, is known for its sprawling pop arrangements. Unlike the more structured approach employed by his main band, Mondanile adapts an exploratory nature, incorporating more instruments and delving into experimental territory. The Flower Lane, the act’s latest release, strays from this formula slightly, resulting in a more focused, but less sincere record.
Album opener “Ivy Covered House” feels like an outtake from Real Estate’s 2011 release Days with phasing guitar chimes and a mellow rhythm section. “Academy Avenue” means well as an acoustic closing track, but falls short with its stale melody and repetitive lyrics. Mondanile’s song structures are tighter, but much of his emotive exploration is lost.
Still, The Flower Lane boasts colorful production. The lo-fi drum machine that opens “International Date Line” gives way to a dense instrumental jam, embellished by distorted guitar flourishes. Mondanile’s reverb-drenched vocals on “Planet Phrom” give the track an out-of-this-world feel, akin to its subject matter.
Listeners familiar with Ducktails’ previous releases may belittle Mondanile’s more straightforward pop inclinations. However, it’s the album’s production that really packs a punch. Simply put, what The Flower Lane lacks in innovation, it makes up for in presentation.
To get the day's news and headlines in your inbox each morning, sign up for our email newsletters.
