Beach House
Depression Cherry
Sub Pop
by David Chiu
It’s hard to imagine that Beach House has been around recording-wise for almost 10 years now, consistently putting out exquisite-sounding albums. And the Baltimore-based duo’s latest and fifth album Depression Cherry is no different as it blends avant-garde psychedelia and engaging pop melodies. The nearly six-minute track, “Levitation,” that opens the record lives up to its name—buttressed by Victoria Legrand’s haunting yet soothing voice, this elevating song feels both minimalist and ornate, dreamy result, builds up to a heavenly glow. It’s followed by the hypnotic “Sparks,” highlighted by Alex Scally’s piercing guitar. As the band explained in a press release announcing the record, the percussion was kept to a minimum on Depression Cherry, thus putting Legrand’s vocals/keyboards and Scally’s guitar to the fore. There are some definitely moments of beauty in the music, from the poppy “Beyond Love” and the waltz-like “PPP” to even moments of the duo branching out a bit stylistically, like on the jazzy and almost danceable “Bluebird” and the futuristic, trip-hop feel of “Space Song.” The record concludes with the very dreamy and torchy epic track “Days of Candy,” leaving the listener on a sublime kind of high. Again, like their previous albums, Legrand’s commanding yet whispery voice permeates through the music as does Scally’s stirring and moving axe-work, such as on “Wildfire.” With each successive album, Beach House’s music continues to mesmerize – that streak remains alive in Depression Cherry.
