The third album release from Beach House, Teen Dream, has been my favorite album 2010 and the review is long overdue. After buying the album on a whim, I was instantly rewarded. The most simple description of Teen Dream is comparing it to daydreaming. Whether or not my description is simply my subconscious forming this idea, coming from the name of the band and album, is up for debate. But, even so, there is much about the sound and mood being created that justifies this conclusion.
Victoria Legend's vocals echo throughout most of the songs creating a lofty, etherel feel, one that reminds me of Swimming by The French Kicks. This, combined with the simplistic, yet melodic guitar and keyboards fading in and out, creates a mood that personifies daydreaming. While at first glance, one might assume the album to be juvenile, mostly due to the word "teen" appearing in the title, the album is in fact, very mature. Lyrically, the album touches on subjects of lost love, the inabilities to commit, and even the futility of love altogether. However, it is not a bleek or hopeless theme throughout the album, but a back and forth between the two emotions that seem to play off each other. Regardless the actual message of each song, continuity is maintained by the mood. From start to finish, one can get lost in the sound and catch themselves drifting away, being carried solely by Legend's vocals.
After having listened to Teen Dream several times through within the first day of owning it, I made the bold statement that this album will be one of the best of the entire year. It will be an album perfectly suited for the approaching summer months, being listened to in the car with the windows down and feeling the warmth of the sun, truly completing an ideal mood. I only hope that being released so early in 2010 does not hinder Beach House when the critics come to chose their elite of the year.
9.5/10
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