After the breakthrough success of 2010's Teen Dream, Beach House is back and touring behind a new album. Released in May, Bloom is less sparse than its predecessor. It's happier, with more twinkling and even a little bit of a downtempo disco vibe. There is a balance here that wasn't common before — the band seems to be finding the space between being serious and being taken too seriously. Singer-songwriter and vocalist Victoria Legrand works her sexy little aloof French thing hard, and this album proves that she has one of the most distinctive voices in modern music. Think Nico but more refined and without the masculinity or tragedy.
Avoid If: You've recently dealt with death or a divorce or any other bad life-altering event. Beach House has a way of amplifying your sadness.
