Indie rock has plenty of bands specializing in moody, low-key music heavy on dark, delicate atmospheres, but you'd never know it from listening to the debut from Baltimore duo Beach House. That's because instrumentalist Alex Scally and vocalist Victoria Legrand deliver a sound that is wholly fresh and enchanting, even when its references (Nico, Mazzy Star, Cat Power) are apparent. Throughout BEACH HOUSE, swelling organ, lightly brushed drums, and a constellation of processed guitar sounds build a sonic galaxy through which float Legrand's hushed, lovely vocals--creating an effect that is wistful and charming.
Professional Reviews
Entertainment Weekly - "Come, surrender to the wooze....Every Beach House record feels like being wrapped in a warm dream-pop cocoon of vocals and reverb..."
Uncut (p.93) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "Through the simplicity of their languid melodies, Beach House access a portal into pop's truly uncanny nature."
Uncut (p.89) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[There is] a rich seam of spooked cinematic ambience running through the duo's retro-pop....There are exquisite moments here that recall Mazzy Star, Nico-era Velvets and even Radiohead."