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Beach House

Funny that a band named Beach House specializes in music that's a perfect soundtrack to blazing autumn bonfires and quiet winter snowscapes. More appropriately, they must be speaking of spooky beach houses closed for the season, in oceanside towns, left to collect dust bunnies.

From the opening strains of "Saltwater," it's clear that Beach House is a unique creature. A duo from Baltimore, their self-titled debut album is a fuzzy blanket of sound, bringing forth comparisons to Mazzy Star and Slowdive. Beach House manage to sound so organic and unforced, with a reverb-heavy, lush sound created by Alex Scally's droney organs and moody guitars, topped by Victoria Legrand's gorgeous, lilting voice. Imperfect drum beats rise and fall like heartbeats as the languid Legrand intones, her voice stripped bare and placed on center stage.

"Saltwater" is a sleepy lullabye of rich sonic depth that's not weary or tiresome, like "Auburn and Ivory" showcases Legrand's sorrowful moan alongside a haunting harpsichord, in a memorable contrapuntal composition. Most of Beach House's songs provide three minutes of an autumn daydream and then float away on a bed of skittering drumbeats and wispy haze. The duo claims that no drum machines were used in the making of the album; instead, they relied on found sounds, xylophones, and clanking objects. Intimate and melancholy, Beach House's warm, baroque electronic pop has a a satisfying grittiness, as chimes drift in and out. Beach House slyly entice listeners into their mesmerizing daydreams, entrapping them in a world of deep browns and delicate lace, filled with dusty furniture and faded sepia photographs.

Beach House - Saltwater
Beach House - Auburn and Ivory

Visit Beach House's official site. Buy their self-titled debut from Amazon or iTunes.

Posted by Queen of the Front Row at 03.06.07 at 12:12 AM

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