New Album Reviews: Beach House, Midlake and Yeasayer

Beach House: Teen Dream

I have just begun to discover Beach House. I had heard many mixed reviews but interesting conversations about their music non the less. I think with their new album Teen Dream, the band has really expanded their sound from previous work, second album Devotion. Devotion was interesting but felt all in the same melodic, droning tone. It had highlights like the mysterious sounding You Came To Me, but generally it felt more like pleasant background music. Teen Dream has much more of a diverse sound to it. Don't get me wrong, it is still their signature sound of Victoria's smoky vocals mixed with organs and bells, but it feels like a lighter more joyful quality. Some of the songs like Zebra, Lover of Mine, and 10 Mile Stereo are even upbeat. The highlight of the album though is the first single Norway. The organ, raspy vocals and drums give the song a haunting quality that remains with the listener. Victoria's vocals have a particular clear, strong quality to them that sometimes gets lost in others songs. In general, it is nice to see this band moving forward, developing their sound and gaining new fans like myself. From what I understand, their live show is quite impressive as well. I fully recommend this album!

Midlake: The Courage of Others

This band really discovered its true sound on its last album The Trials of Van Occupanther. If you did not pick up the last album, you really missed a good one. With that album, many people compared them to mid seventies Fleetwood Mac. I can see this quite clearly. Their instrumentation and clean sound complimented the descriptive, literary sounding lyrics. On the new album they took the sound on into a new realm. Let me just say, this is the perfect album for a dreary winter day. It is cozy, creepy and sleepy, but in a good way. It has a narrative in the lyrics and a soundtrack quality to each track. It is like listening to stories in front of the fireplace at dusk. There are slight Elizabethan qualities to the sound as well with autoharp and flutes. The album cover gives a good indication of what your going to get. Like Fleet Foxes, this album feels based in nature, log cabins and a throwback to music before the modern age. This may turn out to be one of my favorite albums of the year.

Yeasayer: Odd Blood

This is another new band for me. The last album did hit my radar, but seemed a little too psychedelic and experimental for me. Earlier this year I decided to give it a chance and actually enjoyed quite a few of the tracks. With the new album Odd Blood, they have continued their psychedelic, organic, upbeat sound but it feels a bit more accessible. This may not appeal to already established fans or reviewers(Pitchfork rated it a 6.1). I must say though, this new album works for me. The first single Ambling Amp is amazing! It has a driving beat, fantastic vocals and is as infectious as any pop song on the radio......but cool. The music is rock, electronic, with touches of world beat. Chris Keatings vocals stand out strongly, which says a lot with music this creative and crazy. 2nd single O.N.E has a much more world music sound to it, peppy and sunny. So far though my other favorite track beside Ambling Amp is the 6th track on the album Love Me Girl. The song has many surprises, breaks in the melody, keeps you guessing, and is a great showcase for the vocals. If you like MGMT, pick this one up.

Even though its February I am already excited for this to be one of my big summer albums.