Beach House; Devotion; Carpark
Baltimore’s Beach House, the name of dreampop duo Alex Scally and Victoria Legrand, garnered critical acclaim with their self-titled debut in 2006. Its sound was strikingly original in the increasingly homogenous indie rock world—the songs, comprised of distant organs and slide-guitars over drum machine beats and accompanied by Legrand’s stunning voice, moved forward at a snail’s pace while remaining fascinating. Devotion is an excellent follow-up to that album, a set of eleven love songs that subtly update the group’s sound for the better.
The album’s more hi-fi sound is evident from the first moments of opener “Wedding Bell.” Organ sounds shimmer brightly alongside prominent slide guitar and a much sweeter melody than any of the autumnal progressions on their debut. Thankfully, the album’s clean mix doesn’t diminish the dense and dreamy atmosphere, arguably the defining mark of Beach House’s sound.
The group has inspired comparisons to bands like Mazzy Star and Galaxie 500, but Beach House stands out because of Legrand’s light and airy voice, which is intensely beautiful and a key part of Beach House’s appeal. On Devotion, her vocals are soaked in more reverb than on the debut album and are often layered on top of themselves. Combined with Scally’s more complex guitar work, Legrand’s voice makes for a trance-inducing, intimate wall of sound.
This is especially striking on the first single, “Gila,” which builds on the formula of early standout “Master of None.” Using almost the same lazy drum beat, “Gila” outdoes the earlier track with its distinctive guitar line and Legrand’s “No-oh-oh-oh-oh” chants that precede the chorus. Other highlights include “Heart of Chambers” and the closer “Home Again,” but the songs bleed together in such a gauzy, carefree way that it’s difficult to isolate any single track as a standout.
The tracks’ lack of diversity has often been criticized by the band’s detractors. But while Beach House will never be wildly adventurous, they seem to have found their niche. Devotion is a more comfortable record than their debut, and it is also a better one.
Voice’s Choices: Wedding Bell,” “Gila,” “Home Again”
