Music is much more than what you hear, it can be how you feel, think, and cope. I always felt like albums tell a story, and with Depression Cherry and Thank Your Lucky Stars the story has never been clearer. Victoria and Alex have a talent for creating a space where they can tell these tales without sacrificing artistic merit, in which they give their music plenty of time to breathe and grow. So It’s like this, imagine yourself at a chapel. You’ve never been more emotional as you are at this very moment. You’re very fond of this chapel, because it’s the place you got married in, (cue Levitation) you remember the sudden adrenaline you got on that day. Levitation is your psych up song for what comes next, it’s what lays the foundation for your entire day, and in the context of Depression Cherry, it’s what’s going to instantaneously remind you that you’re listening to a Beach House record. You remember thinking about your wife, (cue Majorette) who was one of the most exciting people you’ve ever met. The days you laid eyes on her at that dance back in High School, how you knew this was more than a coming of age fling, this was something special. She suddenly gave love a new meaning to you, the pulsating beat that plays in Majorette mirrored how your heart felt the moment you walked up to her to dance, and as she accepted and you both waltzed the night away you remember looking in her eyes and immediately feeling a spark. Sparks is, in my opinion, the most successful sonic recreation of emotion Beach House has been able to come up with. Sparks wailing guitar feels like the first time you and her kissed, after taking her to the movies and driving her home. She remembered how nervous you were but it didn’t matter because she was just as nervous, she felt comforted knowing someone made her feel this way and vice versa. Being here, in this crowded house of god, suddenly overwhelmed you with emotion and memories, one in particular was when you and her decided to drive up the coast for the weekend in the summer of 96’, (cue Space Song) you remember how cute she looked in her two piece, it was the first time you’ve ever seen her like that, it was euphoric and mesmerizing, and truly satisfying knowing this is the person you’re dating. You remember this warm fuzzy feeling you got when she told you she loved you that day, it was the first time it was said, but most importantly it was the first person you loved who wasn’t related to you. Space Song has the same overwhelming emotion that completely takes over the listener and takes them to a happier place, it isn’t a song for space but rather a song for time, and whether it takes you years back or years forward, you can’t help but feel vulnerable when it does. Of course, just like you remember the good times you remember the bad ones too, like that one night she called you on the phone and you couldn’t even understand her because she kept crying and crying. (cue 10:37) She was telling you how sick her dog had gotten, she’s had this dog since she was young, it was a bond that was a strong as the willpower she had, when she had to decide to put it down when the time came. You were there for her, everyone was, but she never found grief in that, only she could see the light at the end of the tunnel, she was just worried there would never be a light. The beauty behind 10:37 is in its melodic simplicity, it’s affair with silence was as guilty as it was necessary. She knew her dog had to be put down, she just never wanted it to happen. It was her first exposure to death, (cue Bluebird) she had not a clue on how to deal with the pain and agony of it, but she knew you would be there for her. In a literal sense, she was like a bluebird at this time because she was seemed so full of life but was hallowed due to the loss of someone who kept her whole, where was she going to go now? If there was (One Thing) she felt reassured, it was how much of an impact your presence had on her. One Thing is very similar to Sparks in that it’s one of Beach House most radically diverse tracks to date. It’s ‘in your face’ guitar riffs complimenting Victoria’s humbling yet intimate vocals created this reassurance she had of you, you see her at her best and her worst and in a way in solidifies the love you had for her. 11 months in this rollercoaster of love and happiness, and it finally happens. You remember it vividly because how can you not, it was the first time both of you had experienced pleasure like this, it was the most intimate way to love each other, it was more than sex, it was Beyond Love. Beyond Love has this hauntingly sexy tone that just feels like a love song in the most intimate way imaginable. What happens next is also unforgettable, (cue PPP) because the very next week she tells you that she’s pregnant. This girl, whom you’ve only seen for 11 months, is about to bear your child, and you couldn’t be any more excited for it. PPP has been known to stand for ‘Piss Poor Planning’ and although that wasn’t the message the band intended for the song it suits it very well within its lyricism. As Legrand sings about ‘it happening so fast, timing was perfect’, you can’t help but agree with her upon receiving the news. Breaking the news to both yours and her parents was the most excruciating experience of your very young life so far. Your mother, both angry and disappointed, she was a very hard person to please, and with the news that her youngest is going to have a child never panned out. She channeled her anger unnecessarily at your lover, she called her such heinous things (cue Common Girl) and tried to debunk everything you liked about her, but you didn’t care. You told your mother about everything you loved about her, (cue She’s So Lovely) and even through something like raising a child you never felt more sure of the person whose go to raise them with you. You never got upset at your mother, you understood why she was mad, you accepted life for what it was, something she couldn’t do because she always wanted the best for you, you were just upset that she could never see this was the best for you. This chapel was near and dear to your heart because this is where you baptized your child, you didn’t believe per say but your lover did. You remember the priest blessing your newly born baby boy and for a moment you felt like he was really protected from the world that was beyond those walls. Raising your boy was the one of the most fulfilling aspects of your life, (cue Elegy to the Void) you taught him everything you could and accepted him for who he was. He never let you down and you never let him down, you taught him how to ride a bike and he taught you the real meaning of parenthood. He went to you for advice on everything he could think of, he had his mother’s curiosity and he had your passion for seeking answers. You hoped he found the kind of love you found when you were his age. Elegy to the Void feels like an ohm to the black hole that is the human brain, in which all your memories are dumped into. You recall on these memories all the time because these help you understand and overcome obstacles and situations that may come along as you continue life in this strange world we live in. Being parents bore responsibility both financially and emotionally, you became the provider for your new family which in turn created stress on your relationship. (cue The Traveller) You’re gone a lot for work, you wish you could be at home with your boy and your lover but you know you have to provide for them in order to do so, and you may not like the 9 to 5 but it’s knowing you have them to look forward to at the end of the day that keeps you going. Sometimes it created problems, she wishes you were there to help raise your bundle of joy but she knew how important it was for you to work. The Traveller feels like Legrand’s way of getting the listener to open their eyes and see the problematic outcome that has occurred because of your choices, and when you finally acknowledge them it’s both heart wrenching and rewarding, because it finally aligns your priorities without having to sacrifice what you worked so hard to build and achieve. It’s finally happening, there you are standing at the alter witnessing your soon to be wife walking down the aisle, as radiant as ever. As she arrives at the altar, your baby boy comes along bearing the rings you’ve chosen to seal the love you’ve had for her all these years. As the priest asks for you to exchange vows, (cue All Your Yeahs) you forget what you’ve prepared carefully because you can’t help but feel amazed that is happening. All Your Yeahs is Scally and Legrand’s way of giving the listener something new, not instrumentally but rather in its vocal and melodic structure. It builds up to this perfect moment that pays off so beautifully it has you starting it from the beginning so you can feel it again and again. Just like when your wife said ‘I Do’ you wish you can replay and start it all over again, because it was worth it. It was worth the struggle of having to put up with both of your parents, and it was worth finding a job that could finally let you provide for your family. It was worth those long nights of getting your child to sleep so she can take a night off and rest. It was worth it, and when it was your turn, you had no hesitation saying “I Do” back. Wildflower is like the first kiss your shared as husband and wife, you couldn’t hold it in much longer, you grabbed her and kissed her harder than you ever had because you knew it all led up to it. Wildflower, in all of its innocence, is what reminds you off the kind of person you are and the kind of person you’ve chose to love. At the reception later, you felt a wave of nausea because you were scared of the first dance the bride and groom have in tradition. (cue Somewhere Tonight) you stayed up the night before practicing because you wanted it to go as smoothly as possible, at this point you knew she loved you for who you were but you wanted to be everything she could’ve hoped for and then some. Legrand’s lovely throwback to 80’s pop on Somewhere Tonight is the perfect first dance for anybody. It’s calming and fine-tuned sound alongside her breathy yet soul shattering vocals give the listener the utter craving of affection and desire to find someone to share a dance with. You remember it all too well, being in the same chapel you got married in today, except, that was 60 years ago. Today you’re here to mourn the passing of your wife. (cue Rough Song) you knew she wasn’t going to make it long after the diagnosis, but you didn’t let that stop you from enjoying every last moment you had with her. You promised to take her to see Niagara before she passed, and you did. You kissed her on the cheek when you walked up to see her lying there, others saw her lifeless, not you, you always saw the radiance she possessed ever since you met her at that dance in High School. Finally, as Days of Candy is playing, you reflect on everything you experienced, both with and without her, and yes these days of candy are gone, but they’ll surely never be forgotten. You kiss her on the cheek and whisper in her ear ‘the universe is riding off with you’, and you thank every lucky star you ever had that fate brought you two together. Being in the same place that celebrates love and death is jarring for most, but for you, being in this chapel was a reminder of the love and passion you had for someone all these years, a love that filled the room, a love that only you and her could ever understand. That’s the story I felt the Legrand and Scally were trying to say, it may be different for others, but for the most part the love and relatability is there. Thank you for Alex and Victoria, for putting every bit of heart and soul you have into everything you make.