I approached Beach House's latest album Teen Dream with some weariness. In the context of this band, "dream" was not the word I wanted to hear attached to its newest effort.
I had welcomed the first two albums with arms wide open, wanting nothing more than to get lost in their airy sounds. My favorite critics had told me I would fall in love with Beach House's self-titled debut, which released in 2006, two years after the band's formation in Baltimore, Md. The dreamy sound was mostly there on its sophomore album Devotion, but after multiple listenings of both albums, that sound slipped quickly from memory, as most dreams do. Beach House was too arid, and I found nothing to hold onto.
But then they switched labels, and guitarist/keyboardist Alex Scally and lead singer Victoria Legrand, who also plays the organ, got involved with several side projects, including providing the back-up vocals on Grizzly Bear's hit, Two Weeks. They also brought on indie producer Chris Coady, of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Grizzly Bear and TV on the Radio fame, to record their third album at Dreamland studio in upstate New York. Teen Dream gets away from that sonic dryness that characterized earlier albums. This is not a dream you can forget, and it is as easy to enjoy as a cool breeze off the ocean.
It is clear from the first track on the album, "Zebra," that Beach House is going to give the listener something to hold onto. Scally's clear, catchy guitar riff stays with us through the lyrics about the "black and white horse, arching among us" that slowly pour over the melodious track.
The whole album delivers a shimmering sound that - when combined with Legrand's wistful, almost plaintive vocals - convey a beautiful, summery nostalgia. "Tear a moment from the days that carry us on forever," Legrand sings on "10 Mile Stereo."
Other standouts, including the lead single "Norway," convey the same melancholy lyrics over sometimes more energetic tunes. "Norway" opens with an organ blast before marshalling through the typically dreamy guitar with a soft but persistent drumbeat. "10 Mile Stereo" similarly feels like a score to someone's daydream.
This aesthetic is what will keep you coming back to the album. It has a beautiful sound, and it's catchy enough to rope in those elusive "casual listeners." Teen Dream carries its melancholy emotion well, never becoming too distant and always holding your interest.
Go find a sunny patch of something soft, lie down, put Teen Dream on and just let it wash over you. You'll enjoy it.
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