Another week, another album! This time, Beach House have topped our Album of the Week poll with their latest release ‘7’. And, of course, Mariella is here to review it for you.
Contrary to what you might expect from a band named ‘Beach House’, the Baltimore duo have been releasing dark, hypnotic dream pop since their debut in 2006. Gaining popularity amongst indie-music enthusiasts from the very beginning, the band’s first single earned a place on Pitchfork’s Infinite Mixtape MP3 later that year; since, they have continued to solidify their influential place in the indie scene, receiving acclaim for their 2010 release Teen Dream and 2012 release Bloom. However, the release of Depression Cherry (2015) seemed to show a lapse in quality that led some to predict the band’s best music was now behind them. Sometimes, though, great art takes time, and it hasn’t been until this aptly named seventh album, 7, that Beach House have proven there is still some innovation left in them.
The first single, ‘Lemon Glow’, didn’t quite set the tone for the whole album listeners would end up with, which is far less jarring than this song might have suggested. It features persistent synth leads that oscillate back and forth, a distorted howling guitar, and melancholic vocals throughout. The opener, ‘Dark Spring’, is a characteristically dreamy track with eerie, breathy vocals. The melody here is wistful, but the guitars are heavy and mildly distorted, resulting in a multi-dimensional feel. The following track, ‘Pay No Mind’, flows seamlessly from the opening track as a piece of slow alternative rock. Managing to be both spacey and ambient, the near-tangible distorted guitars and drum beat are maintained well throughout. The mellower track ‘Dive’, begins in a style that feels inspired by Washed Out, but gets increasingly intense as the vocals fall away to reveal a forceful drum rhythm and grinding guitars.
Arguably the album’s central song, ‘L’Inconnue’ begins with multi-layered vocals that create a choral effect, enhancing an already eerie sense about this track. The title, translating from French to “The Unknown”, references a girl given this name after being found dead in the Seine with a famously serene smile on her face. Despite having been made in 2013, this song still fits perfectly with the tone of the record, even containing a reference to the number seven — an important and consistent presence in this album. It is as though the whole album might have been derived from this track, or created with it in mind.
In contrast to the rest of the album, the synth-pop inspired track ‘Woo’, lacks considerable depth with lyrics such as: “You will braid your hair/Throw it everywhere/You’re everywhere/You don’t give a fuck”, that are less-than-compelling. ‘Black Car’, although not as upbeat, has a more interesting sound, despite beginning with a series of simple beats and remaining fairly minimalistic throughout.
The album ends with the epic piece ‘Last Ride’, which couples echoey, longing vocals with slow, drawn-out melodies. The use of slide guitar here, as the album draws to a close, even inspires a lingering, dream-like sentiment as the track fades out. Is it a coincidence that this song is 7 minutes long? Perhaps. Or maybe Beach House are just “making mountains out of nothingness”.
Article: Mariella Bevan
URY Music Editor: Alex Sheriff
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