sun 08/12/2024

CD: Beach House – Depression Cherry | reviews, news & interviews

CD: Beach House – Depression Cherry

CD: Beach House – Depression Cherry

Exquisite enervation on Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally’s fifth album

Beach House's 'Depression Cherry': hard to focus on

Though beautiful, Depression Cherry is hard to love. The fifth album from Beach House – Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally – has the fragile exquisiteness of fine lace but is, as ever with the duo, so hazy it proves impossible to surrender to its drifting course. Just when its form seems within reach through an enervated fog, it’s suddenly gone – like vapour absorbed into air.

The customary shadows cast by Cocteau Twins, Slowdive and "Surf's Up" Beach Boys are present and correct, but Depression Cherry still sounds more like Beach House than the musical well they have drawn from since 2006’s eponymous debut album. Pedal steel, Philip Glass-esque rotating keyboard figures, the single-tempo songs and the duo’s defeated-angel voices are instantly recognisable, as is a trademark tendency for a melody to ascend to an apparent crescendo and then, instead of building on it, repeat the refrain which has just been introduced. The repetition contributes to the abstraction and, again, makes Depression Cherry hard to focus on.

There is, though, a new sense of immediacy lurking within the musical mist. Fewer instruments are employed than on predecessor album Bloom, and much of the percussion is electronic rather than acoustic. With Depression Cherry, Beach House have pulled off what ought to be an impossible tautology – bringing directness to the avowedly diffuse.

Overleaf: listen to “Sparks” from Beach House’s Depression Cherry

 

Listen to “Sparks” from Beach House’s Depression Cherry

When the form of 'Depression Cherry' seems within reach, it’s gone – like vapour absorbed into air

rating

Editor Rating: 
3
Average: 3 (1 vote)

Share this article

Add comment

The future of Arts Journalism

 

You can stop theartsdesk.com closing!

We urgently need financing to survive. Our fundraising drive has thus far raised £33,000 but we need to reach £100,000 or we will be forced to close. Please contribute here: https://gofund.me/c3f6033d

And if you can forward this information to anyone who might assist, we’d be grateful.

Subscribe to theartsdesk.com

Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 15,000 pieces, we're asking for £5 per month or £40 per year. We feel it's a very good deal, and hope you do too.

To take a subscription now simply click here.

And if you're looking for that extra gift for a friend or family member, why not treat them to a theartsdesk.com gift subscription?

newsletter

Get a weekly digest of our critical highlights in your inbox each Thursday!

Simply enter your email address in the box below

View previous newsletters