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by Ruben_James on 11/29/2006

It’s immediately apparent in the first moments of Beach House’s debut album that you are stepping into a dimly lit atmosphere of heartbreakingly gorgeous melody and warm ambience. The work of Alex Scally and Victoria Legrand is a distinctly succinct mood album of love and longing that takes immediate hold on the senses.

Legrand woefully sings, “Love you all the time / Even though you’re not mine” over a dense backdrop of analog keyboards, slide guitar, and vintage drum machine in opener, “Saltwater.” She continues, “You couldn’t lose me if you tried.” The sentiment and instrumentation set the mold for the remainder of the 36-minute album. Beach House doesn’t stray from this formula, and that is welcomed.

The vocal melodies (along with the chord changes that allow them) are incredibly striking here. Legrand weaves in and out of Scally’s simple sliding lines like a seasoned lounge singer. Her reverb drenched velvety tone on “Master of None” (MP3) evokes an almost soulful Southern feel, while “Auburn and Ivory” lends itself more to the psychedelic medieval folk of late 60’s Britain. “Lovelier Girl” seems to sum up the brilliance of the comforting craftsmanship that this duo has perfected with its irresistible melody.

With their debut album, Beach House gets my vote for newcomer of the year. There’s no mere trophy involved in such a high honor—only my pledge to pick up their sophomore album the day it hits stores in a year or two... fingers crossed.

www.beachhousemusic.net

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