After six months on my to-buy list, I've finally managed to scratch off Beach House's Teen Dream. Finally indeed—this is a great record.
What a difference a little variety makes, huh? I liked their last, Devotion, a lot, but it felt formulaic after eleven songs and I haven't found myself going back to it much in the last couple of years. A song here and there, maybe half the album, but I find the album starts to feel static by side 2.
Not so for Teen Dream. With the addition of a live drummer on many tracks, plus a few more instruments and backing vocals delicately placed throughout, makes Teen Dream much more alive without damaging the band's overall aesthetic. Victoria LeGrand's voice commands every song buoyed by Alex Scally's ringing guitar. Both his playing and her presence feel even stronger than before, and their overall skill as songwriters is much more developed. In the running for one of my favorites of the year.
- Beach House: Silver Soul
Comments