At this point in Beach House’s career the two members, Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally, have had time to carefully construct their signature sound, and on their third album, Teen Dream, we see that sound evolve. Beach House’s first two albums were hazy and lonely, the albums sounded like something you would listen to by yourself in the middle of a dark winter. Check Here for their label’s page on them.
Teen Dream begins with “Zebra,” a warm guitar led song that feels like waking up on a bright Sunday morning. “Zebra” is laced with light drums that keep the song moving throughout the verses, until we hear the calmest explosion ever heard with the addition of cymbals in the chorus. From there we move on to “Silver Soul,” a somber ballad that begins with a droning synthesizer and gentle slide guitar. “It is happening again,” belts Victoria Legrand throughout the chorus. The repetition of which harkens back to David Lynch’s legendary mystery series Twin Peaks, where the phrase is repeated at one of the most pivotal moments in the entire show.
Meaningful and Emotional
“Walk In The Park” is maybe the most emotionally potent song on the entire album. A song about losing someone you loved and the mundane activities you do to get through it. “In a matter of time it will slip from my mind. In and out of my life, you would slip from my mind,” sings Legrand as she verbalizes the feelings of an ending relationship that no matter how bad it hurts eventually time will heal the wound and it would slip from her mind.
The title Teen Dream is a perfect encapsulation of the feeling the record gives you. The feelings of heartbreak, moving on, and new beginnings that your teen years give you. All the dreams you have as you get older and the way each memory comforts you and sticks with you forever. “Used to be” is an example of these feelings. “Don’t forget the nights when it all felt right. Are you not the same as you used to be?” Legrand sings.
Everything feels simpler when you are young and gets more complex as you get older, we change constantly and never feel the same as we used to, Victoria knows this and wants us to remember the good times even as we question ourselves. “Lover of Mine” is perhaps the happiest sounding song on the album, starting off with a very simple drum pattern until a synthesizer and electric guitar join in simultaneously playing a light, airy riff. As per usual with Beach House the happiness doesn’t last forever. The lyrics detail finding comfort in another, until we reach the bridge where Legrand sings, “The only thing you’ve got, you know you’re better off without it.” Sometimes we need to learn to let go even if it’s all we have, we need to be shown how everything will be okay and that something or someone could be holding us back.
Beauty in the Unknown
Beach House is a band that is so secretive that even the die hard fans know little about them, the two members are very reclusive and surrounded by the unknown. Because of this they are talked about endlessly in the indie music scenes, but it’s easy to forget them when talking about accolades they should be discussed alongside. Alex Scally is a multi-instrumentalist, but is most known for his guitar work in the band. Scally lightly plucks a guitar through the most expansive song on the album “10 Mile Stereo.” This was Beach House at their loudest and it was a completely new venture for them. “It can’t be gone, we’re still right here. It took so long, can’t say we heard it all,” Legrand sings melancholic-ally as the song gradually ramps up adding booming drums and cymbal hits to the already established drums, all atop a droning keyboard and piercing, yet wavering guitar notes.
The record glows with the feelings of moving on, and reasons to keep moving forward, because the only constant we have is the passing of time. Teen Dream comforts and reminds us that it’s going to be ok, it just might take some time.