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Beach House - Teen Dream - Sub Pop

As the New Year gets underway, we anticipate lots of new releases from some of our favorite artists. However, a new name jumps to the head of the line in this year; a duo from Baltimore named Beach House. Their first album for the Sub Pop label comes out this January, entitled Teen Dream, and may just be one of the albums we're talking about again when we come full circle in 2010.

Retreating to a desolate location in upstate New York to record their third album, the duo of Alex Scally and Victoria Legrand emerged with a stunning collection of songs. Highlights like "Norway captivate with Victoria's seductive vocals on top of a woozy backdrop of psychedelic guitars and panting harmonies.

The albums ten songs are full and robust compositions, each song taking the time to develop and thaw out. Songs like the album opener, "Zebra", build upon layers of sound before unfolding a powerful, haunting chorus.

Teen Dream is the duo's third release since forming in 2006. And the test of Teen Dream is not how immediate the songs are, but rather how they linger. The slow pace and dreamy atmosphere created by Beach House lends itself to how inviting Teen Dream actually is.

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