Real Numbers’ “Star” Is Late-80s UK Indiepop Done With Total Conviction

Real Numbers have been working toward Was It Always This Way since 2023, when primary songwriter Eli Hansen solidified a new lineup and the band immediately got to work. Andrew Jansen on bass, Sophie Durbin on keyboards and vocals, Fez Felzan on drums, and Jeff Cornell on guitar. They spent 2024 and into 2026 at Softcult Studios in Minneapolis with longtime producer Matt Castore, layering guitars, refining, polishing, and chasing something swooningly perfect. On August 14, Slumberland Records will release the result.

The record picks up where the 2021 EP Brighter Then left off but pushes further into multi-layered guitar territory, wistful melodies, and the kind of indiepop that feels like it was excavated directly from the Sarah and Creation catalogs. “Star” is the lead single and a strong example of what the album does: glittering, awe-struck guitar pop that mixes hope and despair in equal measure without making either feel cheap. If you grew up on Field Mice, St Christopher, or the Orchids, this one will land hard.

Lyrical themes across the album include modern fame, mixing opposites, and reckoning with your own significance. Album highlights “Darling” and “Never Never Again” are particularly strong. Pre-order the album below.

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1“This Empty Frame”

2“I Can Tell”

3“Darling”

4“Star”

5“Twist the Blade”

6“Don’t Look Away”

7“Everlasting Happiness”

8“Was It Always This Way”

9“Never Never Again”

10“Remembrance”