Beach House
Teen Dream
Sub Pop
Rating: 3 1/2 stars (out of 4)
The first song written for Teen Dream, "Used to Be," was inspired by Beach House's constant touring in support of the profile-rising 2008 album, Devotion. Singer and lyricist Victoria Legrand contemplates her future, aware the road has changed her. "Don't forget the nights when it all felt right / Are you not the same as you used to be?"
In a recent interview, I asked what inspired Legrand and guitarist Alex Scally as they wrote Teen Dream. Instead of citing something tangible, Legrand pointed to the metaphysical: "Just constantly moving is inspiring enough because it really does throw you into an abstract universe."
The promising Baltimore duo (who will play Coachella Festival in Indio, Calif., in April) creates a surreal, often rewarding world on
Teen Dream
. It’s lyrically challenging but not perplexing. There’s a sultry warmth to each song’s layers of organs, guitar and reverb. (Scally calls it a “make-out record.”)
Compared with Beach House's first two albums, Teen Dream rings sure-handedly, as if Legrand and Scally were merely tinkering around before. Listen to the stunning opener "Zebra," and there's an obvious new confidence. Legrand's vocals, recalling Stevie Nicks, are finally pushed to the front of the mix, boldly announcing there will be no more hiding.
With songs this well-crafted and, most important, affecting — why should there be? Each track feels immediate, with no time for ornate filler or fancy production tricks. Highlights abound, from "Silver Soul's" climactic chorus to the blunt honesty in closer "Take Care" ("I'd take care of you if you'd ask me to / In a year or two") to Scally's mood-encapsulating, arpeggio guitar work on "10 Mile Stereo."
The ultimate high comes in the lovesick "Better Times." Legrand captures the fleeting nature of love ("Thought you weren't looking anymore / But then we, we come and go / Go up in smoke") while the low end and a downbeat snare drive the hook home. The elements lock in, and we're lifted slightly above the ground, happily floating along, even as she laments over love lost.
When Legrand finishes with the line, "We don't need a sign to know better times," all that's left is to nod in agreement.
Wesley Case is a presentation architect at b. Follow him on Twitter, @wesleycase.