Beach House isn’t your average musical duo. In fact, you probably would have no idea there were only two people in Beach House with its complex melodies. As each song washes over you, you’d think there was an army of musicians playing in your AirPods, sending the notes directly into your brain.
Each Beach House song is an immersive experience that tells a different story and produces a new, otherworldly feeling.
The band—composed of vocalist and keyboardist Victoria Legrand and guitarist, keyboardist, and backup vocalist Alex Scally—achieved this one-of-a-kind sound for its listeners by perfecting its craft since 2004.
Beach House creates a unique sound through its use of synthesizers combined with bass and strategically placed harmonies in the vocals. It is sort of psychedelic, sort of pop, certainly indie, and definitely dreamlike. It is not simply music—it’s an enveloping listening experience.
“Space Song” is Beach House’s most popular and recognizable song because it blew up on TikTok, albeit in a slowed down version. Never has a song been more aptly named. “Space Song” is ideal for stargazing or introspection. It is a particularly cinematic song, slowly fading in and fading out like the opening scene or end credits of a movie.
The outro of the song repeats “fall back into place” until the very last line, in which “place” is completely omitted. The song concludes without finishing the lyric, leaving the end up to interpretation rather than forcing a thought onto the listener, again emphasizing the song’s reflective quality.
Beach House uses word painting—meaning the melody directly reflects the lyrics—often in its songs. The lyrics are so visually rich that you can just sit back and take in the image Beach House is creating. One prime example of this is “PPP,” an all-encompassing and feels-like-you’re-floating kind of song.
“Did you see it coming? / It happened so fast / The timing was perfect / Water on glass / Like tracing figure eights on ice in skates / Oh well,” Legrand sings.
Legrand is a contralto, which is the lowest vocal type for women. Her voice glides over notes with a remarkably rich tone. It is almost as if Legrand’s voice was a pair of ice skates, smoothly gliding over the ice as she sings each note.
“Pink Funeral” is another standout song and one of Beach House’s newest. In contrast to “Space Song” and “PPP,” “Pink Funeral” starts aggressively. The drum beats and synthesizer create a feeling of urgency and intensity. The song also features the lowest side of Legrand’s range, demonstrating her impressive vocal flexibility.
Beach House’s concerts, like its songs, are an immersive experience. Lights accompany all of the songs and flash or change color in time with the music. The room, including the stage, is completely dark except for the backdrop and the accompanying light show. The audience is fully enveloped in the music. It’s impossible to pull your eyes away from the patterns and scenes in front of you.
When I went to their recent concert, the backdrop mimicked the shifting colors of the aurora borealis during a few songs, and during “Pink Funeral,” it went completely black before pink, flashing lights flooded the room.
Legrand and Scally remained in shadows for the concert, emphasizing the importance of the music over anything else—including the artists themselves. It’s astonishing to hear the music that can come from just two people and a drummer. Beach House is a band you can’t miss and can’t escape, whether listening through headphones or standing in a crowded music hall completely captivated.
