Beach House are an electronic dream pop duo formed in
Baltimore, Maryland consisting of Alex Scally & Victoria Legrand. “Bloom”
is their fourth album of which I’ve been looking forward to hearing for the
last few weeks.
I’ve listened to this quite a few times now and it is
definitely a grower but I still can’t help feeling a little disappointed.
Unfortunately not all the songs continue in the same vein as the stunning
“Myth”. This is the album’s excellent opener and lead single.
“Wild” comes very close indeed. Victoria’s voice swoons
beautifully through the opening lyric “My Mother said to me that I would get in
trouble, our Father won’t come home ‘cause he is seeing double”. This song is
full of emotion. The guitars echo throughout the second half of the track and
builds into an incredible climax similar in ways to Interpol’s “The New”.
“Lazuli”, third track and the albums second single, is where
things start to deteriorate. The intro sounds like something “Enya” released.
It improves after this but not enough to save it going over your head. Other
songs are just too long. The songs completely outstay their welcome like
“Troublemaker” and “On the Sea”. The keyboards on “Other People” seem to go on
forever yet still don’t really go anywhere.
“New Year” saves it a little. I quite like the chorus with
lyrics “Can you call it, see it coming, just enough to tell a story about a
portrait of a young girl waiting for a new year”. Also improving things is “Wishes” with its
Cure-like guitar sound.
This album starts off incredibly well but unfortunately
Beach House couldn’t keep things going. After 2010’s third album “Teen Dream” I
was hoping that they could step it up a gear. There are just too many mediocre
songs on show.
By the way if you listen beyond the end of the final track
“Irene” there is a secret song called “Wherever You Go”.
55/100
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