A Natural Warmth
Beach House Refine Their Dream-State Sound
Harmonious, throbbing melodies and nostalgic, haunting vocals are the backbone of Baltimore duo Beach House’s new album, Bloom. Taken together, these elements are caked in the reverb of a church hall, yielding shadowy dream pop that has captured the attention of music critics big and small.
Although Bloom is the band’s fourth album since 2006, their latest effort keeps their original sound intact. The band, composed of Alex Scally and Victoria Legrand, deliberately avoids tinkering with the sound that followed them throughout their first three albums.
According to Scally, a band can only remain consistent through natural progression, meaning that on Bloom, any changes to their sound came about unintentionally.
“We are who we are. We don’t try to control it,” said Scally. “The less you think about it, the better.”
If anything has changed with their latest release, it’s due to their signature style becoming more defined, and not because of an intentional shift in direction.
The band uses a distinct layering effect; most of their songs begin with a base layer of simple melody, to which chords announce themselves either in epic entrances or in slow, foamy progressions.
“We are who we are. We don’t try to control it. The less you think about it, the better.”
—Beach House Guitarist Alex Scally
The chords coat the melody, and fill in its cracks, finally creating the three-dimensional opus that is Bloom. Legrand’s chilling vocals sing lightly above the concoction while the drum machine holds the whole thing together.
To Scally, the music is organic and physical, but also an existential experience.
“Music that comes out of your soul is a mystery to humanity,” said Scally, adding that their music is not a formula, but rather a part of who they are.
If you listen carefully to the album, you can hear snippets of nature resonating in the background. Whether it’s the midsummer noise of crickets and cicadas or a flock of autumn birds preparing for winter, there is a constant natural vibe present in the music and in between its lines.
“We want to break the feeling of singing into a can,” said Scally of the nature inspiration.
The band recorded all of the wild sounds heard on the album during their last two years on tour. However, the exact sources and locations from which the sounds originate remain a secret. The idea, according to Scally, is that listeners can create their own spaces and contexts through which to experience the album.
The band’s road to Bloom has been a slow and patient ride to the top. A few years ago they were playing to crowds of fewer than a dozen people. Now, on their latest tour, they are selling out entire venues months in advance.
“There is no replacement for a live show,” admitted Scally. “It’s physical and real. You either make it or break it.”
Beach House w/ Poor Moon / Oct.14 / Club Soda (1225 St. Laurent Blvd.) / 7:30 p.m. / $28.50
