REVIEW: BEACH HOUSE AT BRISTOL ANSON ROOMS (03/11/12)
Beach House’s previous tours saw the Baltimore duo surrounded onstage by flowers, or stood in front of three large luminous pyramids. Such decorative flourishes are dispensed with tonight for Alex Scally and Victoria Legrand’s much-heralded 2012 return to Bristol. This time, the pair appear bathed in darkness save for a few strips of light – a setting better suited to Kraftwerk than these hyped purveyors of ethereal East Coast dream pop.
It’s tempting to view tonight’s minimal surroundings as a sign that Scally and Legrand are pursuing their mission with a renewed confidence: that is, to strip the haunting power of ‘90s shoegaze down to its bare elements. Considering the critical and commercial success won by their latest album for Sup Pop, ‘Bloom’, and even a reported sighting of Jay-Z and Beyoncé at the duo’s Coachella performance, any newfound confidence should be justified.
Yet, while Beach House’s 2012 tour rolls on amid industry hype and sold-out shows (including tonight’s), there have been some mixed reviews. These include misgivings about the group’s lack of audience communication, and the absence of obvious dynamic peaks and troughs in their set. Fortunately, any such complaints feel redundant tonight as Bristol’s large and bare Anson Rooms venue proves itself to be an ideal setting in which Beach House’s ghostly sound can unfurl.
The duo, joined by touring drummer Daniel Franz, sit near to one another in a triangle which makes the plan clear: to conjure as much magic as possible from their close-knit onstage chemistry. Scally regularly gazes over at his partner, while Legrand’s early nerves eventually give way to abandonment and head-banging, with her hair flying in all directions behind her keyboard. Once they hit their stride, Beach House’s ambient songs soar like waves over the audience.
Any doubts as to whether Beach House’s sound can flourish without the studio production of Chris Coady (Grizzly Bear, Yeah Yeah Yeahs) are soon quashed. Tonight, these songs sound like they are meant to be played live and blossom in the large hall, whereas in a smaller venue they might have fallen flat. Favourites like the ‘Bloom’ album’s first single, ‘Myth’, gain new life thanks to the subtle uplifts of Scally’s guitar and Legrand’s hushed-yet-sexy vocals.
Elsewhere, second single ‘Lazuli’ shares DNA with fellow Baltimoreans Animal Collective, albeit stripped down to the bare elements with a basic rhythm and infused with the spirit of Cocteau Twins. ‘Zebra’ is met with a big cheer from the intoxicated Saturday night crowd and sounds amazing as its crescendos build and gather a momentum of their own.
In the end, the audience response says it all. While crowds elsewhere on this tour might not have been so lucky, Bristol tonight experienced Beach House’s ambient soundscapes in a perfect setting and saw the band defiantly at the top of its game. Do believe the hype.
Words: Alex Manford
Photo: Louise Brady
