9. Beach House - Teen Dream (Bella Union)

Etheral would be an understatement, dreamlike and majestic sounds filled this album making it a welcome companian whatever the weather, mood or time of day. Zebra, Used to Be and Norway set the standard for great music this year few songs managed to match up to both the brilliance but also the understated immediacy of each track, dynamics barely there instead songs that trotted along in third gear and never feeling the need to accelerate or drop the pace, like a long walk outside of the city, no distractions, just you and nature, simple and beautiful.

Find more artists like Beach House at Myspace Music

Spoiler : What Boomkat Said:

One of the most hotly anticipated releases of 2010, Beach House's Teen Dream follows up the massively lauded Devotion, the album that saw this Baltimore duo reach creative maturity back in 2008. Since then the formula hasn't been tampered with too much, and instead Alex Scally and Victoria Legrand continue to pursue the spartan, hazy tenderness of their prior successes, but with a more developed ear for songwriting and a heightened melodic purpose. Former 7" single, 'Used To Be' is included here, and represents a punchier, somehow more full-blooded incarnation of the band's sound. Similarly, on early highlights like 'Silver Soul' there's a more forceful quality to the mix, something underlined by Legrand's soaring vocals. Following on directly, the woozy, unstable synth tunings of 'Norway' bring a blissfully disorientating quality to what might otherwise sound not unlike a lo-fi, more minimal arrangement of something Fleet Foxes could have come up with - albeit with added Liz Fraser-style vocal tics in the chorus. Production from Chris Coady (a veteran of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Grizzly Bear and TV On The Radio recordings) preserves the beautiful dream-pop gauziness that helped make this band so unique in the first place, but avoids following the sound through to any excessively dissolved, chill-waved conclusion. The result is an album of greater substance than either of its predecessors, and one that gradually reveals its understated brilliance over repeated listens.

The Battle of Land & Sea - The Battle of Land & Sea

The Battle of Land & Sea - The Battle of Land & Sea

It's a record that i have heard little about since its release but one of those that has constantly remained on my less than generous 4gb ipod, resurfacing every now and again and each time as refreshingly pleasing on the ears as the play before. Here we find lush folk songs, songs that recall the excellent The Finches, yet more like them had they joined forces with the Charalambides, everything soaked in reverb and sounding magical for it. Obvious references would be Josephine Foster and Marissa Nadler, maybe Beach House too but really references and influences are unecessary in this case as The Battle of Land & Sea have produced something beautiful enough to be recognised in their own rights.

The Battle of Land & Sea - Saltwater Queen mp3
The Battle of Land & Sea - The Beautiful Ones mp3

Myspace
Sources: 78s

Last FM: Spooky and beautiful…calling out all the old ghosts from past recordings on beautifully warbled vinyl. The Battle of Land and Sea recreate an old jazz club atmosphere but with a little sawdust on the floor. The Battle of Land and Sea was formed in early 2006 by long time musical partners Sarah O’Shura(vocals/guitar) and Joshua Canny(guitar). They self released their first recording - a home recorded 6 song mini-album produced and engineered by Jacob Golden in February 2007 - to a growing passionate fan base. In April 2007 they became part of the Notenuf Records family, Notenuf is an indie label based out of Brooklyn, Berlin and Bloomington. With a DIY attitude and work aesthetic that reaches past their music, they are believers in creating a complete creative musical life - living rooms tours, tee shirts, hand painted 7 inch sleeves, these all fit in comfortably among the music.


Norman Records:
The Battle Of Land And Sea have been compared to Marisa Nadler, Songs Of Green Pheasant and Cat Power. I couldn't really argue with that listening to the haunting sounds of their self titled CD on Notenuf Records. The acoustic guitar has a real magical quality that draws you straight in. Then the enchanting female vocal sounds of Sarah O' Shusa are both sexy and fragile and ultimately seduces you into what's the most tender, absorbing, deeply personal, spectral music I've heard all day. Phil has made a comparison to Christina Carter which is also a worthy reference point. Gentle beautiful music that comes heartily recommended.