Matt Mondanile’s fifth album as Ducktails makes his other band, the catatonically chilled-out Real Estate, sound positively rambunctious.

His gently sung songs, unobtrusive yet glossily produced, soundtrack life in the slow lane, so it’s only a well-balanced running order that keeps things from collapsing in a soporific heap.

For every track that drifts listlessly by – Into The Sky, The Laughing Woman and Medieval are subpar Elliott Smith soundalikes – the LA-based musician bounces back with dreamy indie-rock songs like Headbanging In The Mirror and St Catherine that demand to be loved.

Church (featuring Julia Holter) is a highlight; a taut, off-kilter soft-pop number (imagine Owen Pallett crossed with Prefab Sprout) that proves Mondanile can pen a decent tune, just not enough to make a great album.

ducktails.org