Record: Bloom
Label: SubPop
Year of Release: 2012
Sounds Like: Dream Pop, Ethereal Wave, Indie Pop
United States
Beach House are an American dream pop duo from Baltimore, Maryland. Victoria Legrand, vocalist and keyboardist, and Alex Scally, guitarist. They have been active since 2006 when they edited their eponymous album. Due to their mystical sound and consistence, they have been cited as a major act of the last 10 years and are frequently among the ''best of'' in end of year lists.
Bloom was their fourth record which continued the legacy marked by their previous album, Teen Dream, This record gained attention and prestige for the band. In it we explore textures of dream pop, dream gaze, layers of sound, distant vocals and warm nostalgia.
Does It Work?
Regina Says: I roll my eyes hard, every time I hear somebody say that Beach House is boring. How in earth is this band boring?? I would understand it if they say that they are hipster or overrated, but...,boring?
No, Beach House is not boring. They know what they do very well, they release very crafted, studied, sophisticated pop music. And usually pop is not boring. They have explored the textures of pop in a very delicate yet witty way with varied results. Yes, there are bunch of bands that are into ''dream pop'' stuff, but, let's be frank: no one like these guys. This duo really have this devotion (no pun intended) when it comes to their music, it seems that it does not work for them if it is not sticky and catchy, but also clever AND intense. You only need to listen to Silver Soul or Space Song to notice this. They are perfect pop songs, but they are not conventional. They own so much power and vehemence.
This record is a perfect example of a great way to produce a continuation, after a very successful record. In this case Teen Dream. They proved that you don't have to turn the screw totally to show something different and captivating.
Teen Dream sounds,precisely, like a nostalgic Beach House during some idle summer. Bloom is like the dark side of that, it is filled with neon, wildness and passion. Myth shows you that the Midas touch isn't lost, the progression is great and the chorus fantastic, the best thing about this tune is the chorus that happens only once, and leaves you wanting more and repeating it. Lazuli has this techno noisy/ ballad style that sprouts through the ending, and again, the chorus just happens once, and that is enough. Wild embodies that sensation when you get out of a bar at 3 am and don't know where to go, or what to do. My favorite of all this record: Wherever you go, such a simple song, but a bomb. So honest and sweet, and so secret within the record. I enjoy this kind of details.
This album deserves a listen and it is so melodious that I'm sure you'll give it more than one.
Rate: Very Good.
Hugo Menanth Says: Beach House is always an enjoyable experience, whether they are making limp, ethereal tunes or experimenting a little more with electronica and glitches (which is the case of their most recent work, ''7''), they all the time put out something thoughtful and accesible. The thing that I love about Beach House the most, is that stormy feeling to some of their songs. Some of their melodies feel like a tornado that is wrapping around you and killing you, but you are so in love and drowsy (in a good way) that you can't nor want to escape, some call this unneeded epicness, but that's the part that I like of them. Bloom recycles the perfect formula proved in Teen Dream, but it is far from being repetitive, actually it is a more polished version of the sound of that adorable record of 2010. Fancy guitars and strayed keyboards touched by the phantasmagoric voice of Legrand, who knows so well how to balance tenderness and fierceness. I do agree on the fact that Beach House is a form of Heterodox pop, it sounds and seems like it, but it's not.
Not all the time you will want to listen to bizarre conceptual music, sometimes you may feel like giving your ears a trance of sweetness, broken glass and ethereal darkness. Then get ready to submerge your head in this pond of celestial yeast,.
Rate: Very Good