Beach House – Teen Dream Album Review

One can say, without taking anything away from Beach House and Devotion, that on their latest offering, Teen Dream, Beach House rove deeper. The tracks still shimmer and haunt, but something more tangible is present in the lyrics. From its introduction with “Zebra” to the farewell of “Take Care,” in which, “It’s no good unless it’s real,” the album longs in a way almost physical for the listener. In “Real Love,” “There’s something wrong with our hearts/ When they beat pure they stand apart…/ Real love, it finds you somewhere with your back to it.

Although the reverb-drenched guitars, hypnotic keys, and vocals of Victoria Legrand will probably ensure they retain their “dream-pop” moniker, Beach House’s latest collection is lyrically replete with attempts to find something real. And find this it does, and may consequently prove a difficult listen. Not because it’s bad, as might usually be the case with an album, but precisely the opposite; its quality, lyrically and melodically, might touch on something for which you yourself long.