Cambios sutiles – BEACH HOUSE: 7 (Bella Union, 2018)

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Sutiles los cambios experimentados en el sonido de la banda desde sus últimos trabajos. Sin abandonar la exquisitez Dream-Pop de sus anteriores entregas, BEACH HOUSE se adentra en un nuevo universo, algo más experimental, más etéreo y cercano a la Indietrónica cargada de sintes que a sus sonidos primigenios. Para ello, han contado con la colaboración de Sonic Boom, uno de los gurús de la neopsicodelia desde hace ya tiempo.

“While Beach House‘s sound has always focused on hypnotic melodies and Victoria Legrand‘s rich vocals — and likely always will — they’ve found different ways to explore this potent combination on each album. Legrand and Alex Scally delivered some of their most dramatic experiments on 2015’sDepression Cherry and Thank Your Lucky Stars, which presented a surprising amount of sides to their music even as they stripped it down to the basics. If possible, they’re even more committed to change on their aptly named seventh album. To make 7, Beach House opted to work with Sonic Boominstead of longtime producer Chris Coady; brought their live drummer James Barone into the studio; and recorded songs as soon as they were done writing them instead of waiting to record all of them at once. This creative liberation resonates on every track, whether Scally and Legrand build up the instrumentation or pare it back, touch on their familiar sounds or invent new ones. 7‘s sequencing spotlights just how wide its range is, juxtaposing songs that sound wildly different, but equally likeBeach House. The galactic whoosh of “Dark Spring” — a key example of Boom‘s influence — sounds all the more vast next to “Pay No Mind,” the band’s warmest, most down-to-earth love song yet. Similarly, “L’Inconnue”‘s blissful call-and-response contrasts nicely with the edgy “Drunk in LA,” where the beats and synths evoke rain-slicked streets and city lights. Then there are the songs that feel completely new: with its warping synths and enigmatic vibe, “Lemon Glow” gives the Beach House mystique a sci-fi update, while the sleek “Black Car” incorporates hints of dance and R&B without sounding like the duo is chasing trends. “Dive” is another standout, shifting from rainy-day contemplation to speeding down the road with the windows down in a way that’s seamless and exhilarating. Elsewhere, Legrand uses 7‘s eclectic sounds as an opportunity to experiment with different lyrical perspectives that add depth to the album’s dreamy surfaces, as on “Girl of the Year,” where its cavernous sweetness echoes its tale of a young woman famous for self-destruction. Throughout 7,Beach House feel more concerned with capturing moments fully rather than conforming to notions of what a cohesive album is. That these songs sound like they came from different albums is ultimately more refreshing than disorienting, and the excitement that courses through each track is palpable.Scally and Legrand could have only made 7 at this point in their career — not only do they have the skill to change things up, but the wisdom to know how and when to do so” (All Music)

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Beach House: I do not care for the winter sun (Single, 2010)

El villancico de hoy tiene un significado muy especial, porque lo realiza Beach House, uno de los grupos revelación del año pasado, que fue cuando editaron su tercer álbum, Teen Dream (TJB, Enero 2010), con el que han conseguido el reconocimiento casi unánime de público y crítica. Para congraciarse, despiden este 2010 con un single navideño, este I do not care for the winter sun, que han colgado en su página oficial. La canción está muy acorde con sus temáticas habituales y resulta muy adecuada para la época en la que nos encontramos. Como es norma en todos los temas que han ido apareciendo en esta última quincena, es de descarga gratuita y legal. Pincha en el enlace.

Beach House – I do not care for the winter sun (Single, 2010)

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Beach House: iTunes Session (2010)

 

El dúo de Baltimore Beach House editó este 2010 uno de los mejores discos del año en lo que a Pop o Dream-Pop se refiere, y en estos días se filtra un directo para unas sesiones para iTunes. Se incluyen los mejores temas del disco: Walk in the park, Norway, Silver soul, Gila, Real Love; y un tema inédito, White moon. Está en formato AAC. Espero que lo disfrutéis.

Beach House – iTunes Session (2010)

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Beach House: Norway, live (from Teen Dream, 2010, BellaUnion)

Beach House: Teen dream (2010), BellaUnion

Uno de los primeros discos del 2010 que se filtraron por los blogs de música que solemos visitar fue este Teen Dream del dúo de Baltimore Beach House, formado por Victoria Legrand y Alex Scally. Si no estoy equivocado, creo que se trata de su tercer larga duración, un disco maduro y reflexivo, donde los tintes intimistas son los dominantes durante toda su escucha. Música reflexiva y bastante liberada de arreglos ni florituras. Personalmente, sin creer que sea un gran disco, sí que os puedo decir que quien quiera acercarse a un universo personal de sentimientos y lirismo, aquí va a encontrar un agradable hueco en el que detenerse para disfrutar sin prisas de una bonita colección de canciones. Para quien busque otro tipo de emociones, que ni siquiera lo intente. Este Teen dream se inicia de forma más que esperanzadora, con la positiva Zebra, tema que comienza con tintes acústicos, muy a la manera de Fleet Foxes (con quienes comparten muchos puntos de vista). Continúa el disco de manera fantástica con otro tema que tiene un cierto aire a Beach Boys, con un teclado realmente precioso y una voz realmente sobresaliente: Silver soul, todo ello aderezado con ciertos toquecitos Country-Rock a lo Beachwood Sparks muy sutiles. Norway es el tercer corte, de nuevo vuelven a aparecer florituras vocales a lo Captain o Camera Obscura en un tema de atmósfera etérea y ochentera. Walk in the park es otro gran tema que nos evoca a ciertos pasajes más asequibles de New Order con un áura melancólica. Used to be es otro buen corte, con un aire Folk-Rock muy a lo Fleet Foxes. Lo cierto es que hasta aquí el disco es realmente de diez, pero ocurre que a medida que avanzamos en su escucha caemos en un cierto tono de letargo del que no consigue sacarnos en ningún momento ninguno de los cinco temas restantes. Personalmente, hubiera distribuido los temas de forma distinta, para al menos mantener el interés durante todo el álbum, y no sólamente en los cinco primeros temas. En cualquier caso se trata de un disco de notable, lleno de momentos de intimismo y musicalidad intensa que a muchos puede más que satisfacer como uno de los discos del primer cuarto del año.

 

“From start to finish Teen Dream floats with the hazy internal logic of its namesake. The pale yellow album art earns its stripes via opener “Zebra,” a song that opens it all up with a delicate guitar line before some cooing harmonies and then thumping percussion, spare organ. The arrangement is lovely, but it’s the assuredness in Legrand’s voice that pushes this thing elsewhere. Then again, so dose the weird gurgling chirps beneath more soulful harmonies and a slippery slow-mo distorted guitar at the beginning of “Silver Soul.” The soporific drums. It’s in the details. And there are tons. You’ve heard the aforementioned “Norway,” the track that follows “Silver Soul.” You might not have heard the rest yet (outside of sing-songing previous 7″ lullaby “Used To Be”), but much of it will be instantly familiar, but fathomless and mysterious at the same time.
The duo recorded the collection in a converted church called Dreamland in upstate New York with Chris Coady (TV on the Radio, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Blonde Redhead). It unfurls with a naturalness that makes it sound like it was captured straight to a (a very high-quality) boombox. Nothing’s cluttered. Each sound has its space. Layers bring warmth to a simple drum machine. The steady pulse of an organ paired next to an icy tambourine. Quick guitar picking next to slow, steady percussion. It would be easy enough to rely on Legrand, but the backing tracks show just as much feeling.
We like all the tracks, but especially love the moment “10 Mile Stereo” takes off and drives into the horizon at the 1:30 mark. The slow, smeary pace of “Silver Soul.” The tender closing-time feel (complete with a moment of rattling background noises) of “Real Love.” Or when actual closer “Take Care” goes into a three minute fade-out, Victoria repeating that she’ll “take care of you / that’s true” enough times for even the most pessimistic to believe it. It’s a gorgeous, reassuring way to end the album — and something that could go on for another 10 minutes without getting boring. Instead, it just seems to up the high. Bands like Dirty Projectors, Animal Collective, and Grizzly Bear have all released ambitious records this year. Beach House come at this sort of complexity from a different angle. At first listen the songs feel like simple lullabies. There isn’t a shiny facade, really. It’s only after you take your time with it and let the songs sink in that you realize you’ll likely never see the bottom” (stereogum.com)
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