“Ella For Real” is a very impressive first showing from Modern Leisure, a new indie-pop/folk-rock project headed by Casey Banker (formerly of Shady Elders, The Don’ts and Be Carefuls). Naming influences like The Radio Dept., Destroyer, and Metronomy, the groups aims to feature “illicit tales of hedonism and heartbreak under the guise of lush guitars and a hodgepodge of warm melodies.” This particular track was inspired by Joanna Newsom’s narrator character in PT Anderson’s film Inherent Vice. Specifically, it’s “a driving folk-rock tune that concerns the narrator’s contrasting relationships between a hedonistic party girl and the titular omniscient female friend who ends up becoming a revelation.”
The summer-y, free-flowing rocker presents a comforting vein of rock with caressing backing vocal harmonies, a subdued lead, and a variety of jangly guitars and lulled percussion. Look for plenty more from Modern Leisure in the near future via their Bandcamp.