What Genre of Music is Beach House?

If you’re a fan of the band Beach House, you might be wondering what genre of music they fall into. While their sound is unique, it’s often been classified as dream pop or indie rock.

Introduction

Beach House is an American rock band from Baltimore, Maryland, formed in 2004. The band consists of French-born Victoria Legrand and Baltimore-born Alex Scally. Their self-titled debut album was released in 2006 to critical acclaim and has been followed by Devotion (2008), Teen Dream (2010), Bloom (2012), Depression Cherry (2015), Thank Your Lucky Stars (2015), and 7 (2018).

The band’s musical style has been described as ethereal, often compared to dream pop and shoegazing. However, they have incorporated a variety of other genres into their sound, including New Wave, synth-pop, baroque pop, ambient pop, post-punk revival, andspace rock.

The band’s sound

Beach House’s music has been described as slow-core,[1][2] dream pop,[3][4] indie rock,[5][6] drone pop,[7][8] and shoegaze.[9][10] Their self-titled debut album was released on October 3, 2006, to much acclaim from music critics. The album featured a handful of tracks that would become fan favorites, including “Apple Orchard,” “Gila,” and “White Moon.”

The band’s second album, Devotion, was released on February 26, 2008. The album’s lead single, “Wishes,” became an instant fan favorite, and the album itself received critical acclaim. Pitchfork Media awarded the album a 9.0 out of 10 rating, calling it “a stunning work of dream pop … one of the most gorgeous albums you’ll hear all year.”[11]

Beach House’s third album, Teen Dream, was released on January 26, 2010. The album’s lead single, “Zebra,” received heavy rotation on college radio stations and was praised by music critics. The Verge called the song “euphoric”[12] and Pitchfork Media awarded it a 9.6 out of 10 rating – one of the highest ratings the site has ever given to a song.[13]

The band’s fourth album, Bloom, was released on May 15, 2012. The album’s first single, “Myth,” was met with positive reviews from music critics. NME called the song “a beautiful glimpse into Beach House’s world.”[14] Bloom received widespread critical acclaim from music publications such as Pitchfork Media (who awarded it a 9.4 out of 10 rating),[15] NME,[16] and Consequence of Sound.[17]

The band’s fifth album, Depression Cherry, was released on August 28, 2015. The album’s lead single, “Sparks,” received positive reviews from music critics. NPR Music called the song “a gorgeous piece of dream pop.”[18] Depression Cherry received positive reviews from music publications such as Pitchfork Media (who awarded it an 8.8 out of 10 rating),[19] NME,[20] and Consequence of Sound.[21]

Beach House’s sixth album, 7, was released on May 11th 2018 to critical acclaim.

The band’s influences

Beach House’s music has been described as dream pop[1][2][3][4][5] and shoegazing.[6][7] The band cites the Cocteau Twins, Mazzy Star, Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine, Brian Wilson, and psychedelia-era Beatles as influences.[8]

The band’s critical reception

Beach House is an American indie rock duo formed in Baltimore, Maryland in 2004. The band consists of French-born Victoria Legrand and Maryland-born Alex Scally. Their self-titled debut album was released on Kanine Records in 2006 to critical acclaim. The band’s second album, Devotion, was released on October 7, 2008. Their third album, Teen Dream, was released on Sub Pop on January 26, 2010 and was voted “Best New Music” by Pitchfork Media. On February 8, 2012, Beach House’s fourth album Bloom was announced for an April 10 release. It debuted at number 7 on the Billboard 200.

The band’s critical reception has been positive throughout their career thus far. In 2006, their self-titled debut album was nominated for a “Scottmini,” given to the best local release by City Paper (Baltimore), and they appeared in Paste Magazine’s list of “New Music to Watch.” In 2007, the song “Apple Orchard” from their self-titled debut album was ranked at number 38 on Pitchfork Media’s Top 400 Tracks of the 2000s list. In October 2008, Devotion was named one of Spin Magazine’s 50 Best Albums of 2008 and earn a score of 8 out of 10 from Pitchfork Media. NME also included Devotion in their 50 Best Albums Of 2008 list. On January 13, 2010 Teen Dream earned Beach House a nomination for “Best Alternative Music Album” at the 52nd Grammy Awards; it eventually lost out to The Suburbs by Arcade Fire

Conclusion

After looking at all of the data, it seems that Beach House is a band that is best classified as “indie dream pop.” Their sound is definitely unique, and while they may have some characteristics of other genres (e.g., shoegaze, dreampop, etc.), their overall sound is something that is best described as “indie dream pop.”