Song of the Day - October 25, 2006

Beach House are a male/female duo from Baltimore. Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally have created a subdued, chillingly beautiful self-titled album that will reward repeated listening. This is not dance music, heavy metal, or emo. Victoria Legrand's vocals remind me slightly of Nico, while Beach House's music is of an ethereal, floating nature. The slow languid tempos of the music, combined with relatively simple keyboard accompaniment, create an illusion of calm. Yet, there is an underlying sense of anxiety in their music, that prevents it from becoming monotonous. My favorite track is "Tokyo Witch." The simple beats are augmented with a faint but distinct tambourine, adding a layer of organic sound to the synthetic keyboards, while Legrand's vocals are distant but exquisite. Click here to listen.