Drake's Take: New Releases 05.15.12

Beach House release another stunner with their new album Bloom
Beach House - Bloom
Words: Drake Lelane

Maybe it’s the effects of a full week of sunny weather, but it’s been hard not to feel optimistic about new music, even when there’s only a couple albums with May release dates that I’m wearing out in the headphones. One of those releases has been Beach House‘s latest, Bloom, which expands only slightly on their breakthrough 2010 release, Teenage Dream.

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Playlist: New Releases 05.15.12: Spotify

Beach House – Bloom [Insound]
LP/CD purchase via Sub Pop / iTunes / Stream via Rhapsody

Four albums into their already impressive career, Baltimore’s Beach House have never seemed like they were in a hurry to get anywhere. “Drifting in and out,” begins the stunning opener, “Myth,” and the duo of Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally are content to do just that through Bloom. While the release is merely a lateral move from the 2010’s breakout Teenage Dream, is there really any need to venture out from the oasis they’ve carved out in the land of dream pop? The band is staying put, venturing only to switch out some light bulbs (can these rooms seem even softer?) paint the trim, polish the silver and maybe set out some hallucinogenic potpourri. I thought, for a moment at least, that fellow Baltimore dream pop agents Lower Dens (with their release Nootropics)had possibly made another Beach House release unnecessary this year. Bloom, however, proves itself to be very necessary.