The M’s: Real Close Ones

Chicago’s favorite retro-pop indie quartet, the M’s take another serious step towards being a true career band with their third self-produced record and second for the always dependable Polyvinyl. Real Close Ones is every bit the trip 2006’s Future Women was and given the benefit of a couple extra years of maturity. The result is not so much an homage to the Kinks as their previous works were often likened but a wealth of classy Americana fueled psychedelia. Album highlight “Naked” has a slower “Coconut” (Harry Nilsson) beat and what sounds like a dice game doubling up for shakers, supporting a well-delivered message that “there ain’t nothing wrong with being naked as long as you’re not alone.” They have convinced me it’s creepy to be bare-assed in the company of zero. The short zipper samples are a nice touch. That track is reason enough to cop this record, let alone the fact these guys are only getting better at their craft throughout the work. They’re real close to an indie rock classic.