Beach House is a dream pop duo from Baltimore, Maryland, formed in 2004. The band consists of French-born Victoria Legrand and Baltimore native Alex Scally. Their self-titled debut album was released in 2006 to critical acclaim and has been followed by Devotion in 2008, Teen Dream in 2010, Bloom in 2012, Depression Cheery and Thank Your Lucky Stars in 2015, B-sides and Rarities in 2017, and 7 in 2018. Measuring Beach House albums against one another is tricky, but on a sensory level, you feel whether the spell is working, and how potent it remains. On 7, all the contrasts that mark their music are dialed up to blinding; you are plunged into darkness and then showered in light. The experience is so enveloping that you find yourself contending, once again, with that familiar itch to locate meaning. The secret at the heart of Beach House’s evocative music remains the same; there is no specific place Legrand wants to take you, but there will always be someplace you’d rather be. Beach House will always help you dream of it. Singer Victoria Legrand’s vocals have often been compared to those of Nico. Some music outlets have also compared Legrand’s vocals to 1980s psychedelic rock vocalist Kendra Smith of the band Opal.
