| Teen Dream | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by Beach House | ||||
| Released | January 26, 2010 | |||
| Genre | Dream pop | |||
| Length | 49:10 | |||
| Label | Sub Pop | |||
| Producer | Chris Coady | |||
| Beach House chronology | ||||
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Teen Dream is the third studio album by American indie pop duo Beach House, released in January 2010. Produced by Chris Coady, Teen Dream is Beach House's Sub Pop debut. The album was well-received by the music press, who hailed it as one of the best albums of 2010.
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The recording of Teen Dream took place after extensive touring of the Beach House's previous album, Devotion (2008). The group strove to create a more "sophisticated" album, and according to the group, the demos of this record were comparable to the final tracks that made up their previous record. Also, their use of extensive reverb was held back significantly. According to Alex Scally "There's very little reverb on the record".
Recording this album was considerably more expensive; Scally says, "Every bit of money we got, we spent. The recording was insanely expensive. Every single step of the way, we've just tried to go more, go further".[1]
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | [2] |
| The Boston Phoenix | [3] |
| Consequence of Sound | [4] |
| Drowned in Sound | (7/10)[5] |
| NME | (9/10)[6] |
| Pitchfork Media | (9.0/10)[7] |
| Q | [8] |
| Rolling Stone | [9] |
| Spin | [10] |
| Tiny Mix Tapes | [11] |
Reception for Teen Dream was very positive. Review aggregator Metacritic, which collates reviews from various publications, indicates a score of 82 (indicating "Universal acclaim"). Many reviews commented on the change in sound including BBC Music, who stated that "the most unmistakeable sound on Teen Dream is that of a band truly finding its own voice".[12] Several publications focused on Legrand's vocals, with Rolling Stone calling the "dusky torch singing... excellent"[13] and The Boston Phoenix praising her voice as "coiling like smoke in the arches of the church".
Teen Dream was named the 5th Best Album of 2010 by Pitchfork. In the Pitchfork: Staff Lists: The Top 50 Albums of 2010, writer Stuart Berman points out the ubiquity of the album's sounds, stating "its billowy synth lines and sleigh-bell accents made it perfect winter listening. But the album made even more sense as the warm weather arrived-- Teen Dream captures Beach House in the midst of a great thaw, the frosty surfaces melting away to reveal full-blooded passion".[14]
In Canada, Beach House was named Exclaim!'s No. 3 Pop & Rock Album of 2010.[15] Writer Dimitri Nasrallah said "Beach House's third album is sublime and singular; working through a creative high point, the duo hit their stride in the songwriting department."
Some reviews, however, were less complimentary. Granting Teen Dream a score of 2/5, The Guardian called the work "oddly icy and melodically a little ineffectual".[16] While The Austin Chronicle called the album "solid" and awarded it 3 stars, the review stated that the duo have "still got some gold dust to kick up".[17] The album was number 17 on Rolling Stone's list of the 30 Best Albums of 2010.[18]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Zebra" | 4:48 |
| 2. | "Silver Soul" | 4:58 |
| 3. | "Norway" | 3:54 |
| 4. | "Walk in the Park" | 5:22 |
| 5. | "Used to Be" | 3:58 |
| 6. | "Lover of Mine" | 5:06 |
| 7. | "Better Times" | 4:23 |
| 8. | "10 Mile Stereo" | 5:03 |
| 9. | "Real Love" | 5:20 |
| 10. | "Take Care" | 5:48 |
| 11. | "Baby (iTunes Bonus Track)" | 2:59 |
A special edition DVD package was released containing either a CD or Vinyl and a DVD, featuring psychedelic visuals for each track from Teen Dream, produced by a separate director.
| Chart (2010) | Peak position[19] |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 | 43 |
| US Billboard Alternative Albums | 6 |
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