My first introduction to Luna, was their 1994 release Bewitched, played in nearly endless rotation on WXPN that year. Droning like some lost, less-thrashy version of the Velvet Underground, their
influences were crystal clear even without Sterling Morrison sitting in. For me, it was the beginning of a beautiful relationship and I followed them through the end of the CD era until they wrapped up in 2006. The VU always had a sweeter, pop side (think "Who Loves the Sun?"), and no one captured that essence better than Luna.
I was just starting to miss Luna when along comes Real Estate, their New Jersey heirs. On their last disc Days (a 2011 "Best" for me), their debt to Luna wasn't entirely clear, but their latest, Atlas, plays like a set of lost tracks from the "Bewitched" sessions, with an extra dose of the Ventures and Bob Welch-era Fleetwood Mac. Chiming guitars, metronomic drumming and reverb-muffled vocals -- it's perfect.
No one would have ever called Luna (never mind the Velvets) by the current label "dream pop," but that's what Real Estate gets tagged with. Don't let it put you off; this is lo-fi pop at its very best. See if you aren't hooked by "Talking Backwards":
and "Had to Hear":
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