Album Review: Bloom

Bloom by Beach House (Sub Pop Records, 2012. 50 minutes)

Beach House consists of French-born Victoria Legrand (vocals and organ) and American Alex Scally (guitars and keyboards). The band is often labeled as “dream pop” due to the slow, atmospheric progressions within its songs. Bloom marks the band’s fourth studio album.

What’s in a Name?

In hearing the name of the band, Beach House undoubtedly causes images of beaches, summertime, or perhaps sangria-filled afternoons. However, despite the name, Beach House’s music is stereotypically dark, monotonous (in a good way), and hypnotic. In a musical world that tries to remain under the same standard, Beach House has attempted to create a unique and artistic sound. On first glance, the newest album, Bloom, doesn’t diverge from the hypnotic feel of albums past. That’s not quite right, however.

In an interview with Pitchfork, the duo revealed that they intentionally decided not to change their sound, but rather their lyrical content. Their sole desire is to maintain an artistic and unique sound, in an industry that chooses to intentionally have music cut from a cookie-cutter mold.

Myth

If you listen to the first track on the album, “Myth”, you can hear the signature hypnotic sound almost instantaneously. Victoria emerges with her typical soulful voice, with some deep, and thought-provoking emotions intertwined.

“What comes after this momentary bliss? / The consequence of what you do to me”

Lapis Lazuli

Photo by R. Tanaka

Perhaps the deepest lyrics come from the song “Lazuli”, one which Legrand admits is also her favorite track on the album. The song begins with a drum-machine and music-box synth, dreamily hinting at something to come further in the track. After the first thirty seconds or so, you can hear an entire spectrum of sound emerge in one beautiful moment. When I researched the term lazuli, all of a sudden the track came together. Lazuli is a blue variety of the mineral lazurite, and it has an impeccable brilliance to it.   

“In the blue of this life / Where it ends in the night / When you couldn’t see you would come for me”

The song ends with repetitive lyrics, further enunciating the beauty of the deep blue gemstone.

“Like no other, you can’t be replaced”.

Momentary Poppy

But, all songs can’t be deep and introspective in today’s musical landscape. The fan base knows what they like, as the current radio scene evidences. Sometimes, a lack of introspection just makes people enjoy music without intellectual basis. Still keeping the textured and hypnotic feel of the rest of Beach House’s repertoire, the song “Other People” just has a certain element of pop to it. With a head-bobbing chorus, the lyrics ring,

“Other people want to keep in touch / Something happens and it’s not enough / Never thought that it would mean so much”

Subtlety

Beach House has created an album of subtle nuances and an evolution in their sound. The same dark-themed, largely hypnotic, and sultry sounds of albums past are still very much present. But, when listening to the album overall, I think there is a new depth and solidarity to the sound. With lyrical evolution, the album seems both the same and somehow different from the past. I find it intriguing that Beach House chose to evolve lyrically rather than musically, as it hints at their philosophical stance on music. Perhaps they believe that music is only as powerful as the lyrics which inspire it. Perhaps they’re right, at any rate they’re making me ponder the question. Bloom is true to its name: the band is assuredly blooming into its own.

Verdict: 4 out of 5
Do you think that lyrical content is important to a song? Or is it ancillary? Do you enjoy Bloom or find it the same as past albums? Share your thoughts below.
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Posted by: Andrew Jacobson

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Album Review: Come Back As Rain

Come Back As Rain by Good Old War (Sargent House, 2012. 38 minutes)

Good Old War is Keith Goodwin, Daniel Schwartz, and Tim Arnold. The band started after they recorded free demos in a late night session at a studio. Good Old War have played at the South by Southwest festival in Texas, and toured with both Anthony Green and Alison Krauss. They are currently signed on the label Sargent House.

Americana Pop 

Good Old War has been active since their 2008 release of Only Way To Be Alone. With an album in 2010, Good Old War didn’t change much. But, this new release, entitled Come Back As Rain provides evidence of a maturing, sophisticated sound. The band’s sound is beginning to develop in a positive direction. The song, “Better Weather” offers proof. The song features tight, three-part harmony, which once you hear it, you’ll understand why I think the band might be on their way to join the folk/Americana greats like Alison Krauss.

One downside with Come Back as Rain is that while it is definitely a folk/Americana album, it errs too much on the side of pop. Following the trail of many tight-harmony bands like Mumford & Sons, Good Old War tries, perhaps too hard, to gain popularity.

Lyrical Depth 

Given the band’s sound, Good Old War clearly spends time tightening vocal harmonies reminding the listener of the Beach Boys. Such a position is something I’m thankful for, but I think Good Old War lost the proper amount of depth. In a close listen to the lyrics “Better Weather” the band, in their three-part harmony, sings the following:

“Our little house at the top of the hill / Was made with love / And four tons of steel”

Yes, the lyrics rhythmically work; they are catchy. But the lyrics also drip with cheesiness that makes it hard for me to muster the strength to listen to the whole track despite the musical goodness behind it. To push the point a little further, in the track “Loud Love” the lyrics might induce vomiting.

“Things are getting dark, they’ve been scaring me / Now the moon’s gone, and I can’t see / Do you remember, when the sun was out? / Light was all around, we climbed a tree / High up in the tree, you made a nest for me”

And just a few lines later, these lyrics appear.

“Will you wait for me underneath the sea? / Can you hold your breath until I’m free?”

The harmonies are really nice, and the melodies are catchy, but the depth certainly isn’t there.

What’s more is the album repeats the same Americana-sounding track over and over, in roughly the same tempo. What makes Come Back as Rain okay for me as a listener, is that the tracks vary enough, and the songs are a fun listen. To end the album, the band plays “Present for the End of the World” which has a new drum beat, but toward the three-minute mark, the singer just repeats the same melody continuously, and needless to say that gets a little old.

I like Come Back As Rain. So what if it’s not the most thoughtful lyrically or the most varied of albums, I’m partial to well-sung harmony. The record also hums along, which gives me the impression that maybe the band knew that it would be a simple record. It’s my fear that despite Good Old War’s growth, the band is setting themselves up to be known as a band with all fluff and no substance. I think if the group continues to grow, this is a band to watch out for. However, if they stick where they’re at now, I would start to avoid them, as they might go the way of the Jonas Brothers (eew), a boy-band craze that few outside the stage of female adolescence enjoyed.

Verdict: 2 out of 5

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Posted by: Andrew Jacobson

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