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It is fitting to learn that Beach House’s new record, Teen Dream, was recorded in a converted church called Dreamland. The Baltimore-based duo cemented their dream-pop sound with their previous two albums, pairing a droning organ with hazy guitar effects. But Teen Dream, the anticipated third album from Beach House, kicks things up a notch — essentially picking up where 2008′s Devotion left off, but revealing the duo’s ability to add elements of indie-rock, soul, and 70’s pop to the mix.
From its opening track, “Zebra,” Teen Dream stakes its early claim as the most listener-friendly Beach House album to date. With its crashing cymbals set against a subtle but steady guitar accompaniment, the album begins with a welcome sense of dramatics that previous Beach House albums lacked. As “Zebra” ends, so begins “Silver Soul,” a slow, swayable tune with a near-Calypso backbeat. Also included on Teen Dream is a synthed-up rerecording of the duo’s 2008 single, “Used To Be.” Perhaps the most endearing tune is Teen Dream’s closer, “Take Care,” as singer Victoria Legrand showcases her hopelessly romantic side, repeatedly professing, “I’ll take care of you, if you ask me to, in a year or two” – the track ultimately encapsulating the feeling of unrequited love.
Beach House has always stood out as an innovative band, one with a solid trademark sound and timeless aura. That being said, comparisons are inevitable when describing artists, and Beach House is no exception; luckily, if Teen Dream is reminiscent of any musical predecessors, it is of beauties like Mazzy Star and Fleetwood Mac. Furthermore, Teen Dream’s first single, the lovely “Norway,” will serve as Legrand’s successful dodging of past comparisons to Nico, as she flaunts a flawlessly broad vocal range Nico could have only dreamed about.
All in all, Teen Dream does not radically deviate from the ardent Beach House sound; the album is indeed doused in dreamy atmospheric tones and smoky vocals. It seems fitting that although Teen Dream is Beach House’s third album to date, it is their debut on the Sub Pop label, proving apropos to the Beach House mantra: they are undeviating but innovative, consistent yet progressive – and refreshingly so.
