Complaining that Alex Scally and Victoria Legrand lack songwriting chops misses the point: Beach House, the duo’s musical moniker, is a sonic connoisseur’s workshop, and the pair have impeccable taste. On Devotion, slow-motion organ washes over precisely twanged guitar while Legrand slides sensuously accented phonemes through the hazy mix. The effect is like a vaguely remembered, pleasantly low-key dream. Scally and Legrand toss in a real tune, too: Jad Fair and Daniel Johnston’s “Some Things Last a Long Time.” Rendered with chiming guitars and haunted vocals, it’s the album’s emotional centerpiece.
Now Hear This: Beach House, “Gila” DOWNLOAD MP3
