Review Summary: When it comes down to it, Teen Dream is absolutely charming; little more, and little less.
The new decade doesn’t start with a bang, but instead with a wistful melody and some charming vocals. Beach House’s third full-length is a bittersweet jumble of ups and downs that provides ample listening material for both casual listener and the hipster. The young duo’s dream-pop latest is very aptly named, as we’ll soon find. Both gloriously youthful and joyously ruminative,
Teen Dream is definitely a noteworthy listen to begin the decade.
You see,
Teen Dream is delightfully bittersweet. With soaring female vocals and dream pop galore, Beach House takes your mood way above the clouds with its atmospherically beautiful aesthetic. While it may be considered by many to be strictly hipster music collection material, Beach House distinguishes
Teen Dream despite itself. Instrumental variety runs rampant all over the record. Single “Norway” is easily one of Beach House’s best to date, and Victoria Legrand’s vocal unique and powerful vocal style. As she belts away,
“Don’t you know it’s true...” (emphasis on the
tru-oooooo), a cool and richly textured melody flutters by. While they definitely strike a chord with “Norway,” Beach House isn’t afraid to add a little variability to
Teen Dream. Whether it’s “Lover Of Mine” that finds a niche for some organ input or the optimistic “Better Times” with its Far-East vibe going on,
Teen Dream doesn’t lack compelling material. The guitar isn’t as prominent here as on previous works, and instead there’s a more shoegazey vibe present on a few songs. It’s certainly complex- the mish-mash of instrumental harmonies and ideas in each song, and it creates for a free-flowing and dynamic experience. Near the end, with “Real Love” and “Take Care,” Beach House slow down this pace a little, relying much more on Legrand’s superb vocal work.
Because of its lush, dream pop atmosphere,
Teen Dream falls victim to an appearance of homogeny. While I maintain that this is a false appearance, it’s certainly easy to understand. Instrumentally and vocally,
Teen Dream is exciting and compelling, but the album’s continuous and overpowering atmosphere (one that is true to its name- a bit day-dreamy, carefree, and optimistic) tends to dominate
Teen Dream. It becomes easy to forget that there are other musical ideas at work on Beach Houses’ latest.
When it comes down to it,
Teen Dream is absolutely charming; little more, and little less. With a few hidden intricacies and complexities that aren’t quite detectable at first, the melodies are sure to have you grinning. Beach House’s second full length distinguishes itself from the realm of Pitchfork’s “Best New Music” by providing apt listening material for music enthusiasts that don’t subscribe to the typical hipster stereotype.
Teen Dream is sure to impress those that shop exclusively at Urban Outfitters, own
In The Aeroplane Over The Sea on vinyl, and read Bukowski at Starbucks; but be wary because this record is more than that. Give Beach House a chance, even if you weren’t impressed by the dull Devotion, because this has a missing piece that
Devotion was devoid of. Chalk it up to charm or pure likability of you will; but whatever
it is,
Teen Dream has it.
nice to hear
