Music review: Beach House "Teen Dream"

Thursday, February 11, 2010

The words “teen dream,” evoke images of high school, coming-of-age tales, and both the good and the bad of teenage existence. Similarly, the album Teen Dream captures that tumult and brings to mind the beautiful, bright reminiscing of young and carefree days as well as the longing that accompany those recollections.

Teen Dream is Beach House’s third full-length album since their inception in 2004, and true to adage, it’s a charm. Each song is beautiful, rich and listenable. The duo, made up of Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally, create dream-pop that boasts an absorbing, ambitious interaction between Legrand’s voice and the keyboard and guitar melodies that give the album its lovely but moody feel.

This skilled interaction is evident immediately. The starter track, “Zebra,” directs the album down its dream-ridden track from the get-go, with music and instrumentation that are as meaningful and earnest as the exotic verses themselves. The duo’s talent also shines through on the album’s first single, “Used to Be,” another nostalgic title that is fitting for the song that follows.

Interactive Graphic

Beach house

The music video for Used to Be, the first single off of Beach House's newly released Teen Dream.

From the first track to the last, the album skillfully embodies this pairing of hope and sorrow.

“Real Love” is a soulful track, and the album closes with “Take Care,” a suitable farewell to the sentimentality and beauty that permeate Teen Dream. And after listening to this engaging, fulfilling album, the final note finds me wishing that every dream sounded this good.

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