Picture
Release Date: January 26, 2010
Label: Sub Pop

There’s been a lot of talk about the new Beach House record, Teen Dream.  Blogs, of which this is one I suppose, have clearly been pretty effing excited about this effort.  I’m not sure what to say about it, except for that I listened to it for the first time in the afternoon.  The sun was setting, and the light in my apartment was dwindling in that hazy winter way the sun sets in Los Angeles.  It seemed like the right time to listen to what I expected Teen Dream to be.   

Then I had a beer.  And another one.  And suddenly I realized that I had stopped thinking about all of the bullshit that was weighing heavily on me minutes before, and that seemed good.  Even the cat stopped running around and sat in one place for awhile.  That was also better.  As the sun gradually retreated and Beach House’s woozy pop shimmer chugged along, everything seemed to suck a lot less.  Not every band, or record for that matter, has the ability to do that – and I guess that’s not always the goal.  But if you’ve read this far and this sounds like the sort of thing that might be in your wheelhouse, you should probably listen to the record.

Teen Dream goes down easy.  It somehow allows you to cut to the core of what’s important.  It even forces animals to chill the fuck out, evidently.  On one hand, it doesn’t seem that tough to make an escapist album.  Quick and simple daydreams you can snap out of when the needle’s finally scratching on the label after the last track is done.  But with this one, I think I’m always going to be reminded of that hazy, generally optimistic afternoon with every subsequent listen.  Etched in my brain.  How many records make that kind of impression?

mp3: Norway
mp3: Take Care
Also, for some downloadable tunes, check out Beach House’s Daytrotter session here.
 


Comments

Jack

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 11:21:39

I guess that surf didn't happen...good substitute

 

Nike Jordan

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 19:44:40

All the people throughout my life who were naysayers pissed me off. But they've all given me a fervor; an angry ambition that cannot be stopped - and I look forward to finding a therapist and working on that.

 



Leave a Reply