Whether it’s a live show or within the confines of a pair of headphones, Beach House demands awe from its audience.
Beginning in November, Baltimore’s Beach House began the four-part release of its eighth studio and first self-produced record, “Once Twice Melody.” The final chapter, released on Feb. 18, completed the double album, reaffirming its signature dream-pop sound. Each chapter was accompanied by a lyric video and animation, adding to the lush dynamic the album presents.
While some groups are known for one distinct type of sound, Beach House is known for the experience they evoke with its listeners. Beach House takes a whole-body approach to its sound. Someone might tune into Elliott Smith for lyricism, but one turns on Beach House to melt into the sound.
Besides the soothing, cathartic energy, the biggest thing that attracts listeners is the simultaneous depth and ambiguity of its lyrics. The songs have legitimate stories, but they also invite the subjective ear of the listener. “Once Twice Melody” is their most sophisticated display of this sonic ability yet. The album, like a lot of Beach House’s songs, focuses on beauty in sadness.
Vocalist Victoria Legrand’s lyrics explore these themes, often leaving listeners with a positive sense of the stories told. It is the haunting elements of the sounds cushioning her vocals that emphasize the melancholic signature of Beach House. On “Once Twice Melody,” one of the last three songs, “Hurts to Love,” highlights this dynamic.
The lyrics muse, “If it hurts to love / You better do it anyway / If it hurts too much / Well, I loved you anyway.”
The bass is more upbeat in this song as opposed to other tracks on the album, but there’s still a sadness that permeates the sweet vocals and sentiments. Beach House makes its listeners feel like they’re in a coming-of-age movie where every monumental moment is coated in a sense of loss.
Beach House is most known for its hits “Space Song” and “PPP,” songs off the fifth studio album “Depression Cherry.” If you were frequenting internet spaces like Vine and Tumblr circa 2016, you’ve likely seen dramatic movie edits and screensavers with lyrics like, “Tender is the night / For a broken heart,” scrawled in bubble fonts. But the duo’s richness far transcends a handful of hits, and “Once Twice Melody” is a testament to longevity.
Frequently compared to the ‘90s UK band Broadcast, Beach House also strikes a balance between whispery vocals and electronic elements. “Once Twice Melody” is a divine example of this sense of balance. The album has a sense of clarity in its production quality that makes it stand out from past fuzzy releases. Legrand’s voice not only stands out more in “Once Twice Melody,” it holds the album afloat.
While some artists might be constantly pressured to expand and explore different facets of their sound, Beach House is focused on exploring the elements of the qualities they do best. They dominate the dream pop genre and are revered as one of the top indie bands of the past decade for this reason. While “Once Twice Melody” is a familiar sound, it is rich in its ethereal elements and evocative in its moodiness.
