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Beach House (Alex Scally and Victoria Legrand) make haunting music - the kind which would seem at home in any independently made 1960's love film fitted snugly at the end as one lover died whilst the other wept uncontrollably. Despite this generally joyless outlook, the press release seems to preach the exact opposite; hailing the album as the perfect ''antidote to the winter blues''. Confusing? Perhaps...
Not to say this is a bad record in any shape or form. In fact, quite the opposite. It's an album that gets lost within itself and creates a carousel of fuzziness and disorientation - making the world around seem slight and almost irrelevant. It would be an easy option to compare the overall aesthetics of Devotion to that of a drug-induced state, but that would only tell half the story. Wedding Bell sets the tone for the record, dancing around bouncing bass melodies and looping, echoed guitar loops (at a guess). Gila steadies the pace down a bit but by the time fifth track, Holy Dances, comes around, it's clear that Scally and Legrand use the vocal not just as a lyrical conduit but as another instrument. They cement the chorus of chimes which, in turn, extrudes an almost spiritual radiance from the album.
Later on, Some Things Last A Long Time is a beautifully simple song that perfectly complements an un-complex album. This is a typical Bella Union release. It is raw, courteous and understated in a genial kind of way. Perfect for any lazy afternoon where aggression and gangster-rap seem to be of another world. --David McGuire
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Product Description
Magical 2008 album! Languid dream-rock 'n' doo-wop pop outta Baltimore, for fans of Mazzy Star and Grizzly Bear. Includes a cover of Daniel Johnston's "Some Things Last A Long Time".
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Beach House is an American duo that are often described as 'Dream Pop'. Their lulling vocals do certainly draw comparison with the likes of The Cocteau Twins and, more recently, Grouper, while instrumentally they are nearer to Joanna Newsom, Nick Drake, elements of Broadcast and even Big Star. The third track on the album, `Gila', even sounds a little like the Beatles' quieter moments.
Acoustic singer-songwriter style records can often feel a little tedious, but Beach House have managed to find a place somewhere between the rich vein of melodious, harmonic, wandering vocals and the land of traditional pop songs...and they have mined it to perfection.
The album sounds like it could have been made in the late 60s, yet at the same time it sounds fresh. There's plenty of variety in here, from the melancholic drone of `Turtle Island' to Spaceman 3 infused lilts of `All the Years'.
Fans of any of the bands mentioned above will find something to treasure in this record, along with fans of the Beach Boys, Animal Collective and Stereolab. Beach House bring elements of all these bands together but produce something truly unique and original. A record worth listening to.
Acoustic singer-songwriter style records can often feel a little tedious, but Beach House have managed to find a place somewhere between the rich vein of melodious, harmonic, wandering vocals and the land of traditional pop songs...and they have mined it to perfection.
The album sounds like it could have been made in the late 60s, yet at the same time it sounds fresh. There's plenty of variety in here, from the melancholic drone of `Turtle Island' to Spaceman 3 infused lilts of `All the Years'.
Fans of any of the bands mentioned above will find something to treasure in this record, along with fans of the Beach Boys, Animal Collective and Stereolab. Beach House bring elements of all these bands together but produce something truly unique and original. A record worth listening to.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By Lena Mac
Format:Audio CD
Just buy everything that Beach house create....I don't know what to first mention....creativity, imagination, vocals, an out of earth sound. It deffinitely is something beyond the alternative sphere. I own only this album because is the cheapest in amazon but I plan to buy Teen dream too. I can't imagine one more autumn goes by without hearing Walk in the park. But the review is for this album, so just listen to Heart of chambers and you'll know what I mean.
15 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
The name of Beach House might imply a certain kind of pop -- sunny, frothy, sort of a Beach Boys vibe.
If so, that name is very deceptive, because their music is none of the above. Hailing from Baltimore, Beach House's second album "Devotion" is more like sleeping in a haunted, jewelled music box -- all ghostly singing, lushly sparkling pop instrumentation and sensually dreamy melodies.
"Wedding Bell" spins itself a stately, rippling organ'n'grimy riffs framework, with Victoria Legrand's pretty, eerie voice singing distantly, "You're ringing the only wedding bell/and we're swimming the seas we know so well... I tried to stay in line in our bed/in our heads/Oh, but your wish is my command..." It's very catchy in a neo-Victorian shoegazer way, although much catchier than anything that follows.
But things get far eerier in "You Came to Me," a shimmering ghostly pop ballad punctuated by sweeps of satiny keyboard and timpani. That style carries over into the lilting, swirling sound of "Gila," ruled by a truly exquisite organ melody. And not many singers could sing the name of a lizard and actually sound serious.
And those songs set the tone for much of the album -- ethereal organ laments, shimmering little pop tunes strung with tambourine and swirling guitar, sparkling melodies with spacey carnival synth, tinkly soaring ballads, and so forth. But it ends as catchily -- if more alluringly -- as it started, with the warm, wobbling "Home Again." It sounds exactly as the title would imply.
If I had to describe the particular sound of Beach House, I'd have to say it sounds like an American Nico... fronting the musical lovechild of Mazzy Star and Goldfrapp's latest.... Read more ›
If so, that name is very deceptive, because their music is none of the above. Hailing from Baltimore, Beach House's second album "Devotion" is more like sleeping in a haunted, jewelled music box -- all ghostly singing, lushly sparkling pop instrumentation and sensually dreamy melodies.
"Wedding Bell" spins itself a stately, rippling organ'n'grimy riffs framework, with Victoria Legrand's pretty, eerie voice singing distantly, "You're ringing the only wedding bell/and we're swimming the seas we know so well... I tried to stay in line in our bed/in our heads/Oh, but your wish is my command..." It's very catchy in a neo-Victorian shoegazer way, although much catchier than anything that follows.
But things get far eerier in "You Came to Me," a shimmering ghostly pop ballad punctuated by sweeps of satiny keyboard and timpani. That style carries over into the lilting, swirling sound of "Gila," ruled by a truly exquisite organ melody. And not many singers could sing the name of a lizard and actually sound serious.
And those songs set the tone for much of the album -- ethereal organ laments, shimmering little pop tunes strung with tambourine and swirling guitar, sparkling melodies with spacey carnival synth, tinkly soaring ballads, and so forth. But it ends as catchily -- if more alluringly -- as it started, with the warm, wobbling "Home Again." It sounds exactly as the title would imply.
If I had to describe the particular sound of Beach House, I'd have to say it sounds like an American Nico... fronting the musical lovechild of Mazzy Star and Goldfrapp's latest.... Read more ›
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By M. Senno
Format:Audio CD
this their second cd is just gorgeous...dream pop, little lush orchestrations, so simple yet so full of thriving energy and passion. victoria's voice just soars...if you're lucky this will get in your head (heart) and never leave....
By SteveGG
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I became aware of this band thro their record label putting out composite festival CDs, but have also seen them play live twice at festivals and am quite impressed with their sound and their songs.
By Desk
Format:Audio CD
I could not hum a single tune from this record, or quote one line of the lyrics: it bypasses ordinary consciousness and goes straight to the level of dreams. Melodic, soft but distinctive.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By mr hornsby
Format:Audio CD
I just love this. I've had it for at least two months now, and I still want to listen to it in its entirety all the time (these days, most albums get around 3 listens from me before they disappear into shuffle mode). This kind of album doesn't come along very often. And really, can you get a better recommendation than that?
I'd put this up there with other personal landmarks such as Bonnie 'Prince' Billy's 'Ease Down the Road' and Cat Power's 'The Covers Record'.
I think it's the choruses that do it for me. The melodies have this warm and haunting tone. They're just perfect to listen to when you want to wind down (perhaps with a couple of little drinkies?) and leave you feeling blissful and lovey. Who could complain about that?
I'm already checking out their other stuff on Spotify (record companies note: this makes it more likely that I will buy stuff in future) and making plans to catch them live.
I'd put this up there with other personal landmarks such as Bonnie 'Prince' Billy's 'Ease Down the Road' and Cat Power's 'The Covers Record'.
I think it's the choruses that do it for me. The melodies have this warm and haunting tone. They're just perfect to listen to when you want to wind down (perhaps with a couple of little drinkies?) and leave you feeling blissful and lovey. Who could complain about that?
I'm already checking out their other stuff on Spotify (record companies note: this makes it more likely that I will buy stuff in future) and making plans to catch them live.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By J. Kerr
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Good album, I simply love this group! Saw them recently at Oran Mor in Glasgow, best gig in ages. So much better than all the garbage in the charts just now. Must be destined for greater things. If you like them try Band of Horses.
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3.6 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Bit of a grower
Definitely this album is a bit of a grower. At first it sounded a little average, with repeated listens its developed and opened up.
Keep with it and I think you'll like it.
Keep with it and I think you'll like it.
Published on 3 May 2010 by Mr. D. Vickery
5.0 out of 5 stars
ridiculous
this album is incredible. stop mucking around and buy it.
it won't disapoint.
it won't disapoint.
Published on 23 April 2008 by M. P. Byrne
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