Beach House have been remarkably consistent throughout their decade spanning career. They've fully conquered and owned the genre of dream pop, each album consisting of large, reverb-soaked anthems. Since releasing their debut record in 2006, the band has released a total of 6 critically acclaimed LPs. Over this span of time the band had acquired quite a few songs that were either released as B-sides to an album single or not released at all. They announced last week that they compiled these tracks and will be releasing newly mastered versions of these songs. The announcement was accompanied by the released of "Chariot" a track that was previously unreleased. In 2015, Beach House released two records: "Depression Cherry" and "Thank Your Lucky Stars." Released two months apart from each other, all the tracks were created during the same studio sessions. Beach House have acknowledged this but denied that the two are companion pieces in any way. Their new single "Chariot" was also produced in these recording sessions.
When I first learned the news of the B-side album, I was honestly unenthused. Beach House's sound has remained largely the same across all 6 of their records. Their style is instantly recognizable because they have spent a decade honing it. So approaching a B-side record, to me, seemed like nothing spectacular especially because I assume that the songs will not sound that different from any other Beach House record. It seemed that many others had this similar thought as well. The band picked up on this and further commented on the release of a B-side record saying that they release a record that contains a cohesive set of songs. This is true and this is partially what has earned Beach House so much acclaim; each record has been a concise and cohesive release. However, this being said, each record has nuances that separate it from the others in their discography, each record has a different personality as well as varying themes and production techniques.
Despite being from the same recording session, there is notable difference between "Depression Cherry" and "Thank Your Lucky Stars." After touring for their fourth album "Bloom," the band expressed a dissatisfaction with the live drums that had accompanied them on tour. They were bothered withe the large and noisy presence of the drums and looked to return to the more simple song structured that were used on the bands first two records. "Cherry" produces a warm, vibrant atmosphere across its 9 songs, culminating with the epic "Days of Candy", the albums closer which is supported by a choir singing a 24-part harmony. This records goal is to do away with the percussive nature of "Bloom," trading it for an ethereal daydream of a record. "Stars" in contrast, does not have this same atmosphere. Theses songs are darker and more physical than their counterparts on "Cherry." While they are made from the similar formula, the nine songs on "Stars" feature less reverb making them feel smaller, more compact, and more unsure about their existence.
Then comes "Chariot". This new song leans more toward the glowing synthscape of "Depression Cherry." And It sounds like another Beach House anthem. The steady drum machine grounds the track which, in similar trend to other songs on "Cherry," is keeping the reverb-soaked atmosphere from floating off into space. The lyrics seem to have political undertone to them. "A sunny day in their chariot / were they waving back to you?" Victoria Legrand belts on the chorus taking a sarcastic jab at the out-of-touch political elites getting rich off of corporate donations, as well as the people unable to see through the facade. This may be in line with what the band has said about "Thank Your Lucky Stars," that it was deserving its own release because it had a more political nature to it. "Women chasers, wives abide / you build a plane to take a land that you divide" speaks to the growing divisions, whether it be based on gender, race, or politics, in America.
"Chariot" is another great Beach House ballad, something I expect to hear throughout this upcoming B-sides album. It is also a reminder to appreciate the nuance in Beach Houses work and to appreciate the precision in which they hone their sound.
