Don’t tell Beach House anything about sophomore slumps: They
are not having it. The Baltimore duo, comprised of vocalist/keyboardist
Victoria Legrand and guitarist/everything-else-man Alex Scally,
recently released their second full-length album, entitled
Devotion. The general consensus among most major music outlets
is twofold: that the recording easily eclipses their spectacular
self-titled debut, and that the duo has reached a new level of maturity
and songwriting ability.
Over email, Legrand describes the current state of Beach House on
Devotion as “aged and slightly weathered.” She adds, “Maybe we
are not older on the record, but we’re thicker,” and, in terms of their
newly revamped sound, thicker couldn’t be a more accurate
adjective.
Compared to their hazy beginnings, Devotion feels like Beach
House on a cupped handful of uppers. Their formula is a simple blend of
lush, textured vocals, warm organ tones, slight, subtle harmonies, and
lots and lots of reverb. It’s the same formula that’s been used
by bands such as Galaxie 500 and Mazzy Star, but damn if it isn’t one
that works well here. Whereas their self-titled debut found the duo
crafting songs that used mood and atmosphere as backbones, and empty
space as their honorary third member, Devotion fills those
spaces with a generous dose of reverb, in what Legrand calls a “natural
evolution” for the band. The gentle drumbeat is more prevalent, the
organ sounds warmer and more complete, Legrand’s ethereal and rich
vocals are more prevalent than before, and the use of varying
instruments (harpsichord and pedal steel) blend perfectly with the
chilling atmosphere. While Devotion may initially feel
isolating, the end result is nothing short of euphoric. It drapes and
smothers you like a cold blanket, in which the initial discomfort from
lying underneath it can be unbearable, but if you thrash around long
enough, you know that sucker is going to heat up.
When asked about her feelings toward the band’s current successes,
Legrand simply replied, “We were surprised, but we are deeply
appreciative. Honestly, we kind of feel the same as we did before.
Hopefully we’ll notice more people coming to our shows.” Her humility
is fitting, as even though their sound has swelled over these past few
records, that doesn’t mean their egos have to grow as well. For Beach
House, this is still sublimely precious music, a sound based on
feeling, with the rich textures, lush atmosphere, and haunting vocals
acting to invoke some sort of response. Whether your reply finds you
gazing at your shoes or gazing at the stars is still up for debate, but
with music this sweeping, bold, and beautiful, anything
is
possible.