Bloom

After utterly wowing the various, sleepy-haired and often bespectacled residents of indie-land in 2010 with their dream pop-infused, breakthrough album Teen Dream, boy/girl duo Beach House return with their fourth effort Bloom. Exploring the sonic territory sketched out by the Cocteau Twins and Mazzy Star, the band’s music may not be the most startlingly original, but at its best it can be supremely uplifting and at times euphoric.
Bloom – all ten tracks of it – carries on from where their critically-acclaimed previous opus left off. Songs like ‘Myth’ and ‘New Year’ see the two-piece strengthen their soundscapes by adding memorable hooks. The angular ‘Other People’, meanwhile, is a stunning piece of work that features a stellar vocal performance from Victoria Legrand during the verses. You might gripe that Beach House resolutely stick to a formula that they know works: this could almost be Teen Dream Part Two. For me, that’s enough (for now). If their third record was all about that thrill of first love for many, then this new one will be the equivalent of putting on a comfortable pair of PJ’s and cosying up on the couch with a long-term partner. It may be familiar, but it’s still fun.