She Never Really Sleeps

Beach House “One Thing”

It’s easy to write Beach House off as a one trick pony; they have a very narrow aesthetic and never stray from it. Releasing two albums in the span of a couple months might seem like overkill, and maybe it kinda is, but it’s a clever move in that it highlights just how different their records can be while essentially being iterations of the same thing. Thank Your Lucky Stars sounds more open and airy than the highly claustrophobic Depression Cherry, and it feels more dirty, worn, and scuffed-up in comparison. The previous record sounded like hiding from the world; this one is more about being weathered by it. Also, unlike the three Beach House records before it, Thank Your Lucky Stars sounds like it’s made by people willing to make eye contact with you.

“One Thing” is the most abrasive and beautiful thing on the record, and maybe their entire catalog. It’s built on a chugging chord pattern, and centers on guitar rather than keyboards. There’s a wonderful ambiguity to the mounting tension – is it fear, is it anticipation, is it lust, is it violence? Is it all of it at once? It’s a very sexy and romantic song without being obvious about anything, or even slightly sentimental. Victoria Legrand’s lyrics hint at a tension and some kind of sexual and emotional entanglement, but the lack of clarity seems to be the point. It’s never clear exactly what’s happening, and that’s why it’s such a powerful experience, or strong feeling.

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