A fraction shy of two years since their last album, Beach House have taken a great leap forward on their third long player. Their love of Phil Spector has been placed at the forefront of their sound and the production effects dial has been cranked round from the ‘Dreamy/Woozy’ setting to ‘Wall-of-Sound’.

Teen Dream is a big sounding record with everything seemingly up in the mix.  The sleepy wash of droning guitars and lullaby vocals has been replaced by twangy reverb heavy guitars, looping organs, scratchy hip hop beats and Victoria Legrand’s suddenly soaring voice. It’s the most startling vocal transformation since a young Barry White awoke one morning with his testicles an inch closer to the ground.

Legrand and co-Beach Houser Alex Scally suddenly find themselves subject to a fair amount of mainstream media attention, shifting them from cult band to being cited as essential listening for 2010. This may well be due to their close links with Grizzly Bear who frequently mention them in dispatches and who are again taking the Baltimore duo out on tour with them.

There’s certainly a dash of Grizzly Bear’s sound to Teen Dream – the album was produced by Chris Coady who lists the Grizzlies on his CV and the pounding organ on Walk In The Park more than echoes the intro to Two Weeks (on which Legrand contributed backing vocals). Never though does this record feel like Grizzly Bear-Lite. This is a bold ambitious album which will undoubtedly and deservedly muscle its way into many an end-of-year review.

Before touring with Grizzly Bear, Beach House play a handful of dates at small venues. With the British broadsheets salivating so profusely, it may be the last chance to catch them in such intimate settings. February
10 Glasgow King Tuts
11 Salford Islington Mill
12 Leeds Brudenell Social Club
14 Belfast Speakeasy
16 Cardiff Arts Centre
17 London Bush Hall