AFTER three albums fronting Brooklyn-based trio Real Estate, singer and guitarist Martin Courtney branches out on his own with a winning collection of tuneful psychedelia. The 10 songs plough a pretty consistent furrow through Big Star/Byrds territory, though the addition of orchestral arrangements on songs like Before We Begin and the title track itself recall pretty much anything Liverpool's musical seer Mick Head has done from The Pale Fountains onwards, but particularly his landmark 1997 album The Magical World Of The Strands.

Elsewhere new single Northern Highway turns on a chiming guitar progression, Focus floats on a sea of complex vocal harmonies and tremolo and Foto is wistful dream pop of the sort Real Estate themselves peddle. But it's Vestiges, which Courtney posted on Soundcloud two months ago by way of a teaser, which is the standout track: a Beatlesy, hook-laden slice of pastoral rock.

As his Real Estate bandmates Matt Mondanile and Alex Bleeker occupy themselves with their own side projects – respectively Ducktails and The Freaks – Courtney’s own efforts seem to be bearing fruit too.