Beach House: Devotion

Label: Carpark

Expanding on the skeletal feel of their first record, Beach House’s Devotion pays attention to space and atmosphere in a way that’s hard to find in the context of orchestrated pop music. Vocalist/keyboardist Victoria Legrand loosely guides us through songs languid, nervous and pastoral, all piecing together into a drifty, reverb-seeped whole. Her off-kilter lyrics occasionally sift to the surface, only to melt back into the beautiful well of sound. Moments like the perfectly realized “You Came To Me” and a haunting cover of Daniel Johnson’s “Some Things Last A Long Time” are perfect examples of the evocative nature of the album, occupying a musical space much like a lucid dream, allowing your mind to wander not away from the music, but with the music. (Fred)