Ducktails - Headbanging In The Mirror

On 2013’s ‘The Flower Lane’, Real Estate guitarist Matt Mondanile shifted the focus of his Ducktails project from hushed, ambient-leaning psychedelia to disco-inspired dream pop; a move that put him in the realm of other glossy alt-pop songwriters such as Kindness and Blood Orange. With the announcement of his new record ‘St. Catherine’, however, Mondanile is seemingly going back to his roots while maintaining that pristine edge - if ‘Headbanging In The Mirror’ is anything to go by.

Produced by Rob Schnapf (Beck, Elliott Smith), Mondanile’s distinct, woozy guitars and saccharine keys make a welcome return, while also sporting the day-dreamy, tranquil strain of melody that made much of 2011’s ‘III: Arcade Dynamics’ so luscious. It’s a hypnotically addictive tune - one that’s more likely to make you lull your head rhythmically rather than bang it - and it’s also return to the gorgeous springtime anthems that Mondanile does so well; seeping with nostalgia and a lust for life.