The third album from Alex Scally and Victoria Legrand arrives on the back of some massively gushing reviews from the US and UK, perhaps because the band has slightly altered its sound from the sparseness of its first two offerings and moved further towards the kind of epic American psych pop that is so widely favoured at the moment. Opener Zebra sets the tone for the rest of the record, as keys and guitar create a haunting soundscape to compliment Legrand’s ethereal ‘ahhing’.
While notably poppier than we’ve heard from Beach House before, amongst the themes of lost love, sadness and nostalgia there is still a pleasing iciness and otherworldliness here, while Legrand’s vocal - which was recently utilised by Grizzly Bear - is intriguing in its huskiness and androgyny.
However, the sticking point with Teen Dream is that, between the swirling melodies and the stirring synths, the foundation-laying reverb-filled instrumentation is a little low on tempo and variety. There are truly stunning moments, like the glorious 10 Mile Stereo, with its pulsing beat building towards rousing, sparkling shoegazey pop and ending with a crescendo that explodes like fireworks. However, such awesome dynamism is rare on this intricate, impressive yet consistently slow-paced record.
So, it isn’t the quite the damn near perfect album that some would suggest it to be, but Teen Dream is certainly an evolvement of Beach House’s sound. It shows a desire to create intelligent, atmospheric music and boasts a few moments of magic. It’s just a shame it’s not always as engaging as its standout moments suggest it should be.
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