When the term “dream-pop” is used to describe music, a red flag always waves in my head. Long, abstract, patches of distorted guitar, and unintelligible vocals are what immediately come to mind. Music that tries so hard to make you “chill out,” but just ends up coming off as obnoxious and try-hard. As you may have guessed, I’m not always the biggest fan of this type of music. The slow tempos and lack of action usually lose my interest pretty quickly, if not immediately, so Beach House’s much-hyped Teen Dream was at a disadvantage with me when I saw that “dream-pop” label.
Turns out, I didn’t mind Teen Dream too much. I found it fairly calm, even a little relaxing. I was able to zone out during the record, which is always nice to do every now and then. Unfortunately, that does make it fairly difficult to accurately write about any songs in particular. I’m not sure if that’s even necessary with this record, though. To really be appreciated, Teen Dream needs to be listened to as a whole. Listening to just a couple of tracks won’t really do it justice.
While it may be an accurate way to describe this record, Teen Dream doesn’t really sound like any of the dream pop that I’ve heard before. There are discernible vocals, and the reverb remains in-check most of the time. It does have a very “dreamy” feel to it though, with plenty of synths, and high-pitched vocals. If you’re looking to relax, this album can definitely help you out.
Swole Ear 
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