Maybe third time is a charm. Maybe we’ll finally sit up and notice. There are no new pony tricks; their sound is as effortless and pensive as ever. Beach House washes up on shore with their third instalment Teen Dream, but their first for Sub Pop, and it’s a collection of soothing haunting tracks from Baltimore natives, Victoria Legrand and Alex Scully.If you haven’t followed the duo, there’s a chance you’ve heard French-born singer Victoria’s backing vocals for Grizzly Bear on Two Weeks, or if you’re a closet Twi fan, on Slow Life. (Not that most of you would publicly admit to the latter.) The lure of Teen Dream lolls on the ethereal deep vox of Legrand, and the echoing lingered harmonies that are produced from it. Recorded in an abandoned church, the heavy use of organ and the ivories fit the dream pop tracks to a tee. In Used To Be, the simplicity of detached notes keep in time the refrain, “Any day now, Come home,” and the repetitive chords in Walk In The Park introduce the pulse of the chant. Scully and Legrand produce full-bodied and poised tunes for ambience listening, though at times the verse may lurch on laconic. It’s an album of nostalgia, of stillness, of escapism, and possibly for those who would like to zone out for forty-eight minutes or so. Here’s hoping that Beach House starts to get the recognition it deserves, and that it’s only a matter of time.
Key Tracks: Silver Soul, Take Care, Used To Be, Zebra
Moods: Delicate, Dreamy, Warm, Atmospheric, Nocturnal, Reflective
Buy: Teen Dream
