Alex Scally, half of the Baltimore based Duo, Beach House, recently explained how he does not like it when bands change their sound between albums. Beach House fans are in luck...
Beach House returns with Bloom, their Sophomore album on famed indie label, Sub-Pop, with more of the same delightful chill-wave of its predecessor. The band opts to tweak their ethereal sound, rather than go into a new direction. Those who enjoy the gentle spaciness of Teen Dream have nothing to fear, as their signature sound is in tact.
Make no mistake, though. This is not a collection of B-Sides. It is apparent throughout the entirety of Bloom that Beach House has matured, both in terms of musicianship and production. Beach House adds more layers to their sound, but manages to keep the Bloom atmospheric, without sounding cluttered. The sound is a tad fuller than the more minimalist Teen Dream, but it subtly walks the line of sounding dizzyingly opulent without sounding chaotic.
Lyrically, Beach House still battles depression with little avail. Bloom recounts the same tales of post-adolescent sadness that made the band notable. There is little deviation from the bands' formula in this sense. Bloom does however, make better use of the vocals, extending the syllables of each lyric to create another layer of music.
Bloom continues Beach House's slow domination of the dream-pop world. The album radiates the same hazy nostalgia that they are known for, but simply better. Bloom is not a continuation of old Beach House, but a slow evolution of them.
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