If voices were fuckable, I'd be balls deep in Victoria Legrand from Beach House's sultry, sensual siren calls. It hazily wafts it's way through your ears, juicy with cigarettes, red wine and sex - leaving you feeling like you've smashed a bottle of claret while wading through a hot spa.
And its Legrand's vocals that truly stand out on Beach House's new record, Teen Dream. Where their earlier albums relied on her voice being drenched in reverb to induce a dreamy, lullaby sound that has become their signature, Teen Dream has seen them wring out the reverb and let the sickly sweet tones reign supreme on their own.
This could be to do with the fact that Teen Dream is their first album on Sub Pop, the pioneer grunge label that has transformed into a home for off-beat indie pop. With a bigger label comes a bigger budget, and with said budget Beach House were able to enlist the skills of producer Chris Coady (who's worked with Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV On The Radio and Grizzly Bear to name but a few) to help them extend the canvas for which they could work upon. And Coady has enabled Beach House to paint a beautiful picture.
Put frankly, Teen Dream is a fantastic record. Opener Zebra announces the album in true Beach House-style. Alex Scally delicately plucks guitar notes; the drumbeat dribbles into the mix; the organ and two-part harmonies fall into place; before finally Legrand's vocals swoon and deliver their perfect pop lines.
The stunning Silver Soul follows it, before the humming organ introduces Norway, a song I'm recommending as a contender for POA's already growing list of songs of 2010.
As the tracks continue, you realise each song is as strong as it's predecessor. It's no wonder the album is fast becoming both a critical and fan favourite. I wouldn't be surprised if it ends up on many 'best of' lists at the end of the year.
Beach House may have named this record Teen Dream, but to me it sounds more adult than anything they've done before.
Originally published in Polaroids of Androids
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