Beach House - Devotion (Bella Union)
4/5
By: Michael Cragg
Sometimes band names can give the game away right from the start; you don't call yourself Slipknot if you're going to focus on string-drenched ballads or country standards, for example. But there are always exceptions. Beach House, the name, conjures up glorious sunsets, idyllic vistas or even pampered rich kids having 'cook outs' by the sea. The music that Alex Scally and Victoria Legrand, aka Beach House, make, however, brings to mind a derelict- perhaps haunted house that happens to be located near some water, probably a barren stream that trickles rather then runs. Devotion is an album that superficially can appear dreamy and lush (one website has their genre down as 'dream pop'), but scratch the beautiful surface and you'll find a blackened vein beneath.
Since they shuffled into the spotlight three years ago with their eponymous debut, Beach House have clearly honed their sound. Bringing together elements of Nico, Mazzy Star and fellow Americans Joy Zipper, Devotion builds on their somewhat raw beginnings and refines the edges, creating a record that engulfs you slowly, pulling you into it's quietly sinister world. The majestic opener 'Wedding Bell' is a bit of a red herring with Legrand cooing "Your wish is my command" over a woozy harpsichord and drum shuffle, but by 'You Came To Me' things turn more opaque; "Invite your sister into the garden...fist full of wild flowers/ Hand-picked by someone who nearly fell". Delivered in Legrand's spooky, almost monotone voice they take on a huge weight, as if the sound of her singing the phone book could scare the living daylights out of you.
Scally also adds to this sense of foreboding, quietly disrupting the peace on 'Astronaut' with some heavily treated guitar, or punctuating the gorgeous piano line in 'Holy Dances' with some off-kilter percussion. Each track is meticulously arranged, each sound slowly flowing into the next with perfect precision and yet it never feels stilted or over-done, just cared for and loved.
'Devotion' is the perfect honey trap; a sweet, seducing album that draws you in before revealing its true intent and keeping you hooked. But don't expect to fall in love straight away, its languid haze can be slightly monotonous at first, but given time it beds down in your brain and begins to burrow its way in. Beach House may not be the most apt name for the band, but Devotion just about sums it up.
Artists in this article: Beach House
Your Feedback
Login to post your comment