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Ducktails - Ducktails III: Arcade Dynamics













I'm not sure that this album could have come out at a better time. While I'm stuck knee-deep (literally, at times) in a never-ending, dreary, snowy, and cold Chicago January, Matthew Mondanile is kicking back in his own version of the Beach Boys infamous summer. But instead of girls, cars, and sand; this summer is all about kicking back on the porch with a cold drink and some laid-back music. You might know him better through his other job as Real Estate's guitar player, but Mondanile has also attracted a fair amount of buzz through his solo Ducktails project. This full-length isn't a huge departure from his previous work, meandering guitar lines and minimal percussion remain a trademark, but this one finds him lounging on the common ground between this and his day job. The melodies are a lot cleaner and direct than they were on albums like Backyard and Landscapes, there are even a few bona-fide singalongs here, "Hamilton Road" and "Killin' the Vibe". But Mondanile's knack for subtly bending his guitar wanderings into something a little more epic is very much intact, check out the epic 10-minute closer, "Porch Projector", a near ambient jam consisting of almost Fahey-like guitar playing accentuated by distant fireworks and applause. This album is making those early morning commutes in sub-zero weather a little easier to take.