REVIEW: BEACH HOUSE AT LUU

American duo play at the union, Tuesday 30th 2012


Dream-pop duo Beach House are one of those rarities that get better with each album.

Latest release, Bloom, is an immaculate construction on  record, but we wonder how the spectral vibe of these tunes will translate in a live setting. 

With an understated entry, French born singer Victoria Lengrand floats into the first song, Wild, with a delicious sense of ease, whilst whiskery guitarist Alex Scally becomes immediatly absorbed in the euphoric atmosphere they create.

Soon after, the biggies, Lazuli, and Zebra are met with approval by the Union crowd.

Shrouded in darkness, dressed in black, gaze shoe-locked, and rarely communicative with the crowd, everything about this set is minimalistic.

That’s their vibe though, right? Well yeah, it is, and we dig that completely for the first six or seven songs, but with the music laid bare without that studio shimmer, it does start to become apparent that their tunes- whilst being fucking delightful- are all very similar.

I don’t think that the type of music Beach House create is the easiest to put accross, or in fact, to recieve, in a live format- I felt a bit confused (actually by the complete lack of movement in the crowd- because it’s only when you let yourself go and fully absorb the whole thing, that it all sort of makes sense.

With the final song, Myth, ornamated with some surprisingly ferocious head-banging from Legrand, the set draws to a close, and the three silhouettes are off, bidding us a modest farewell.