by Phil Scarisbrick

A short collection of quintessentially-beautiful Beach House music

Initially released as part of this year’s Record Store Day, Beach House’s new EP, Become, has now hit streamers and a more widespread physical to be enjoyed by everyone. Recorded during the sessions for their brilliant last record, Once Twice Melody, the band felt that these tracks didn’t fit the themes and sound of that record. What we’re left with is a short collection of songs that only add to the acclaim with which we can hold the group in.

As you’d expect from something that was created alongside something we already know, this isn’t the sound of Beach House’s future, but gives us a further insight into the world they were inhabting at the time. Given that that record was a double, eighteen-track album, it is astonishing to hear that even the outtakes are a joy to listen to. Devil’s Pool combines sumptuous organ swells with a beat that could have been found a kid’s keyboard that cycle to the point that they are completely embedded, with trademark guitar and vocals providing the cherry on the cake. Holiday House pairs Stranger Things-evoking synths with a wonderful verse melody before the percussion kicks the song into another gear with an equally gripping wordless refrain.

This very much feels like ‘Beach House by numbers’. Not in the derogatory sense that that term is usually utilised for, but in the sense that it is instantly recognisable as the band, and ticks all the boxes that we want from them. Gorgeous, reverb drenched guitars. Tick. Loping, spacious synths. Tick. Cyclical, earworm melodies. Big tick. And while those unitiated are unlikely to delve, this little nugget of joy will delight existing fans with quintessentially-beautiful Beach House music.

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