Review: Beach House- Depression Cherry

Beach House are a duo from Baltimore, Maryland (USA) who formed in 2004. The band is made up of Victoria Legrand (vocals) and Alex Scally (guitar). They have a kind of dreamy sound to their music that's very recognisable. They use drum machines and the organ in many of their tracks.

Depression Cherry is the bands 5th studio album. In a recent interview with Here And Now, Victoria said that the new album is "full of many things. Love, pain, getting older, dealing with loss, letting go. It's really ultimately what the listener feels in response to it". This was in response to a question about the meaning of the album. One topic that is tackled though, and also included in the title, is depression.

The opening track of the album is 'Levitation', this contains a simple drum rhythm and organ sound with Legrand's airy vocals over the top. I like how melancholy the sound is and how it immerses you into a kind of imaginary world. The second track, 'Sparks' feels a bit too lackluster and open, it doesn't really have as much direction as I'd like it to. 'Space Song' is a really good track, I really like the chord progressions towards the start that set it up. I also like the synth hook that draws you in further coupled with the catchy chorus.

The next track is 'Beyond Love'. Although I like the sound of the vocals on this track, at some points the organ sounds and vocal clash. This makes for a less pleasant listening experience, more cohesion is needed. '10:37' is really beautifully put together, it has a minimalist opening that builds with the introduction of the vocals and additional instruments. The searching lyrics really take you to another place, they then become more raw and less dreamy in parts towards the end.

'PPP' and 'Bluebird' are both quite standard album tracks from the band. They both have the trademark dreamy sound and are well produced. Of the two I prefer the latter because the vocal quality is higher and it's more direct to the point. 'PPP' is a bit more wishy washy with less of a purpose to it. I really like the intro to 'Bluebird' with is harsher and more powerful sound. The track then opens out into an expansive sea of sound that I enjoy. I wish this song was longer because once I really get into it, it ended quite abruptly.

Overall I think that this latest album from the Baltimore based band is solid. There is a consistent sound that's of a high quality, however there are  points where it seems to lose itself. The album isn't the best from the band but there are glimmers of greatness that can't be overlooked.

Highs:
10:37
Bluebird

Lows:
Sparks
Boyond Love

Rating: 6.8/10