Beach House is set to drop its fifth album in a decade, Depression Cherry, next week (Aug. 28), but for those that just can't wait it's streaming now on NPR as part of its First Listen series.
The Baltimore electronic duo makes haunting ambient music that widely revolves around lead singer Victoria Legrand's beautiful yet eerie voice. Accompanied by Alex Scally's beats using only a couple vintage keyboards and a drum machine, the duo manages to make a sound much bigger and ambitious than their size would suggest.
"Sparks" is the first single off the highly anticipated album and it perfectly illustrates what they mean by their self-proclaimed genre of dream pop. The track opens with a cacophony of chanting, looping voices and continues to build with screechy guitars and grainy keys before Legrand comes in overtop with her dreamy vocals to set it all right again.
In a lengthy feature for Pitchfork, the duo explained their approach to music as a search for authenticity. Legrand said she doesn't want music to be sold and branded to her; she just wants to experience it. Aside from the heady concepts revolving around the duo's head regarding music and the business of selling it, they also come off as two very ordinary people who enjoy Britney Spears and often get in fights with each other about rather petty arguments.
The Depression Cherry LP is already sold out on the band's website but you can still preorder the CD or find it in stores and online Aug. 28. Check out the single and the list of U.S. tour dates below or visit NPR to hear the album in full.
08/18: Portland, ME @ State Theatre
08/19: Northampton, MA @ Pearl Street Nightclub
08/20: Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
08/21: Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom
08/22: Millvale, PA Mr. Small's
08/24: Albany, NY Upstate Concert Hall
08/25: Providence, RI Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel
08/26: New Haven, CT @ College Street Music Hall
08/29: Baltimore, MD @ Pier SIX
09/17: Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall
09/18: Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart's
09/19: Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak
09/21: Milwaukee, WI @ Pabst
09/22: Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
09/23: Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
09/25: Omaha, NE @ Slowdown
09/26: Lawrence, KS @ Liberty Hall
09/27: St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
09/28: Memphis, TN @ Minglewood Hall
09/29: Tulsa, OK @ Cain's Ballroom
10/01: Houston, TX @ House of Blues
10/02: New Orleans, LA @ Civic Theatre
10/03: Birmingham, AL @ Saturn
10/04: Nashville, TN @ The Ryman Auditorium
10/06: Atlanta, GA @ Buckhead Theatre
10/07: Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel
10/08: Saxapahaw, NC @ Haw River Ballroom
