Beach House have slowly become the go-to band for dreamy, cosmic indie rock over the last 15 years. Each record they release solidifies this while they further define, deepen and broaden their haze-induced, practically lounge-ready, synth-brandishing minimal torch songs. 7 is certainly part-in-parcel to this. The big development with their new studio record is the creation of a home studio. This meant they could write and record in real time giving the songs a freshness and sense of immediacy they haven’t enjoyed in the past. Working with Pete Kember, aka Sonic Boom, gave them the confidence to strip away perfection and clean production giving way to spirited tracks and a more divine influence. Their toolkit hasn’t changed dramatically but they are definitely less willing to stick to the basic drum machine, synth and guitar format. In fact, live drummer James Barone played on the entire record giving it larger, rounder sound. Still their sense of cinematic space is present in the sparkling and hypnotic “Black Car” and the meditative and glacial hum of “Dive.” Meanwhile “Lemon Glow” resurrects some of the anthemic and emotional immediacy that their seminal LP Teen Dream exhibited while “Dark Spring” gives Beach House more of a pulse and dynamic punch more akin to the recent Mogwai recordings. 7 will sound beautifully at home, with a healthy dose of volume as the gauzy synths and steady slumber of these songs pour out into your living room. Lush and expansive, Beach House once again deliver quality, soul and emotional heft with 7. (Dom) Check out a track here.
