Review Summary: bittersweet.
"For us,
Depression Cherry is a color, a place, a feeling, an energy… that describes the place you arrive as you move through the endlessly varied trips of existence…" was a statement released by Beach House concerning their 2015 LP, the beloved dream pop duo's first album in three years off the back of their successful 2012 album,
Bloom. Beach House's well known pop sound features elements of shoegaze and contemporary reverb heavy indie rock which the band exhibits across their whole discography. With the release of 2010’s
Teen Dream, as well as
Bloom, Beach House showcased mature, catchy, and focused songwriting which allowed the band to rise above other groups who were in a similar vein sonically and earned the group widespread critical acclaim. Victoria Legrand’s exceptionally beautiful vocals and Alex Scally’s mesmerizing guitar playing also contributed to their prosperity as a band. The single released leading up to
Depression Cherry, "Sparks," suggested a change in sound for Beach House with its noisy and more traditional shoegaze approach than the band's previous material. Although Beach House don't travel too far down the shoegaze route on
Depression Cherry, the duo once again produce a notable and well-crafted album.
“Levitation,” the album’s opener, swells into a gorgeous and emotional crescendo over its nearly six minute runtime. The wall of synthesizer sounds towards the end of the track is utterly dazzling and well put together. On “Sparks,” Scally’s wailing guitar soars over the somewhat dark synth lead and Legrand’s vocals bring every component of the song together excellently. “Space Song” and “PPP” contain some of the band’s catchiest moments yet; the guitar riff and vocal melody on “Space Song” work in splendid harmony making a wonderful pop song and the intimate, slow dance feel of “PPP” makes for a hypnotizing, but memorable listen. Legrand’s and Scally’s performances are consistently great across the album, which is to be expected of the duo, even if some songs aren’t as intriguing on the songwriting front, like “10:37” and the closer “Days of Candy”.
The elegant melodies, passionate guitar playing, and delicate synthesizers on
Depression Cherry conjure up a bittersweet atmosphere that lingers over the music for the entirety of the album.
Depression Cherry is the soundtrack to reminiscing about a past lover or a score for a cautiously optimistic, wondering mind.
Depression Cherry is a place where ecstasy is in the rear view mirror, but is looked back upon fondly knowing that bliss will arrive soon enough. With this album, Beach House show no signs of slowing down in quality as they make another marvelous addition to their discography.
Just like that
It’s gone
