While
Beach House
's sound has always focused on hypnotic melodies and
Victoria Legrand
's rich vocals -- and likely always will -- they've found different ways to explore this potent combination on each album.
Legrand
and
Alex Scally
delivered some of their most dramatic experiments on 2015's
Depression Cherry
Thank Your Lucky Stars
, which presented a surprising amount of sides to their music even as they stripped it down to the basics. If possible, they're even more committed to change on their aptly named seventh album. To make
7
,
opted to work with
Sonic Boom
instead of longtime producer
Chris Coady
; brought their live drummer
James Barone
into the studio; and recorded songs as soon as they were done writing them instead of waiting to record all of them at once. This creative liberation resonates on every track, whether
Scally
build up the instrumentation or pare it back, touch on their familiar sounds or invent new ones.
's sequencing spotlights just how wide its range is, juxtaposing songs that sound wildly different, but equally like
. The galactic whoosh of "Dark Spring" -- a key example of
Boom
's influence -- sounds all the more vast next to "Pay No Mind," the band's warmest, most down-to-earth love song yet. Similarly, "L'Inconnue"'s blissful call-and-response contrasts nicely with the edgy "Drunk in LA," where the beats and synths evoke rain-slicked streets and city lights. Then there are the songs that feel completely new: with its warping synths and enigmatic vibe, "Lemon Glow" gives the
mystique a sci-fi update, while the sleek "Black Car" incorporates hints of dance and R&B without sounding like the duo is chasing trends. "Dive" is another standout, shifting from rainy-day contemplation to speeding down the road with the windows down in a way that's seamless and exhilarating. Elsewhere,
uses
's eclectic sounds as an opportunity to experiment with different lyrical perspectives that add depth to the album's dreamy surfaces, as on "Girl of the Year," where its cavernous sweetness echoes its tale of a young woman famous for self-destruction. Throughout
feel more concerned with capturing moments fully rather than conforming to notions of what a cohesive album is. That these songs sound like they came from different albums is ultimately more refreshing than disorienting, and the excitement that courses through each track is palpable.
could have only made
at this point in their career -- not only do they have the skill to change things up, but the wisdom to know how and when to do so. ~ Heather Phares