Album Review: Jersey Devil by Ducktails

This is Matt Mondanile’s sixth record under his Ducktails pseudonym, and yet, in a lot of ways, it’s the first time he’s truly stepping out on his own. He started on ‘Jersey Devil’ around the same time that his bandmates in Real Estate were gearing up to begin their fourth full-length, March’s ‘In Mind’, leaving Matt with a decision to make; he plumped for Ducktails. The enormity of the decision seems to have rubbed off on this new album, which, like predecessor ‘St.

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This is certainly the case with his sixth full length as Ducktails. Although the initial setup did change slightly, he returned to his hometown in New Jersey to record in his mother’s basement, finding both inspiration and warmth in the familiar surroundings. This sense of comfort reflects in the listen of Jersey Devil. Once again it’s blissfully reclined and beautiful, in fact it feels like he’s making music purely for the sake of healing himself, something which gives the release a very unique charm.

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It wasn't a bad thing that Matt Mondanile left Real Estate. For starters, there may have been enough animus built up that going forward would have been untenable. The band moved on with lead guitarist Julian Lynch and refocused to deliver this year's quality record In Mind. And Mondanile was free to place his undivided energy towards his solo work as Ducktails.

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