A busy summer, kids off school, new website, holidays, sun, pools and Beach House to punctuate the days (I would say lazy sunny days, but they weren’t lazy or sunny) with their rhythmic, immersive and languid tones.
Following the success of Bloom, also reviewed on the predecessor to this site, this is an altogether easier listening affair, if that is not an insult. The music is softer with meditative 80s synth tones which work nicely, as it seems to me… Being Beach House’s fifth album, Alex Scally and Victoria Lagrand clearly feel they have no need to make excuses for themselves or their music and I think this comes across in a more confident album that is simpler in construction and presentation.
The album is described variously as ‘Dream Pop’, so presumably that makes ‘The Cocteau Twins’ Dream Pop too. I am thrown back occasionally to the 80s and the wonderful Cocteaus as the album washes over me; the rhythmical ‘Space Song’ particularly stands out with angular guitar work leading into the dreamy ‘Beyond Love’ and the ghostly ‘PPP’. ‘Wildflower’ is the beginning of the end of the album, as a couple of times I’ve found myself losing a bit of interest in the music but the choral ‘Days of Candy’ finishes the album, and it is an album, off nicely.
Somewhere in these eyes, I’m on your side – Space Song
This is a very nice piece of work from Beach House that is clearly loving written and produced. With so many releases to catchup on, I can’t think of a better start.
If you’re new to my album reviews, read the ‘About’ bit on why I score the tracks like this.
Track Listing
- Levitation ***
- Sparks ***
- Space Song ****
- Beyond Love ****
- 10:37 ***
- PPP ***
- Wildflower ****
- Bluebird ***
- Days of Candy ****
Released – August 2015