Beach House: Depression Cherry

Ryan Reed on September 9, 2015

Beach House are like magicians who show you their secrets first. For a decade now, the Baltimore dream-pop duo have been peddling the same sonic tricks (chiming keyboards and Casio beats; Alex Scally’s woozy, arpeggiated riffs; and the ethereal sigh of singer Victoria Legrand), but that hasn’t diminished the impact of their music. Depression Cherry, the band’s fifth LP, is more of the seductive same. “There’s a place I want to take you,” Legrand coos on opener “Levitation,” luring us into their cozy cocoon. Slow-moving centerpieces like “Beyond Love” and “10:37” strip away the arena-sized thrust of recent albums like Teen Dream and Bloom, harkening back to the intimacy of their formative days. Meanwhile, subtle new touches—the billowing choral vocals of “Days Of Candy,” the shoegazey guitar of “Sparks”—keep the band nudging gently forward. “It’s a gift taken from the lips,” Legrand croons on the latter track. Damn right.

Artist: Beach House
Album: Depression Cherry
Label: Sub Pop