Trying to find the fall spirit? Try Beach House!

Beach House is one of my favorite bands. Their music has been in my life since my sophomore year of high school, and they were a part of me trying to listen to as much music as I possibly could. Their music consistently has this orchestral and cinematic feel to it while having a beautiful and dreamy sheen to it.

Truthfully, I think Beach House is perfect at any point during the year, but for this beginning-of-fall-semester season, I would say their debut self-titled album “Beach House” exudes that vibe the most. Some might say their second album “Devotion” is best for fall, but that album is more suited towards the end of fall beginning of winter season.

Throughout the album, the songs are a lot more lo-fi than later efforts by the band, which give these songs a sort of shy charm to them. These tracks sound more shy than others and encapsulate trying to navigate a new environment.

The song “Tokyo Witch” features muddier drums, an almost mystical melody and vocals that match these completely. The song has a mysterious aura to it, like being in buildings you’ve never been inside before and figuring out where to buy your books in the first couple days of school. The dreamy vibe to the song (and to the album in general) captures a feeling of how being in this new place doesn’t feel quite real and the difficulty of talking to other students and staff.

“Apple Orchard” is a much more nature-oriented track. It reminds me of a quad full of students on a late-August morning. Throughout the lush, almost romantic-sounding song, it brings me excitement of a new time in school or the perfect time to be by your significant other. It also encapsulates the feeling of sitting on a bench outside, talking with your friends or simply observing everyone while walking to class and breathing the fresh air.

For returning students, there’s “Childhood,” a track I feel like is very relevant to me as an upcoming senior. The song in general has this vibe of being at the end of something. The lyrics talk about remembering a past as well, with Victoria Legrand singing “The nature of that place, Sends a sweet smell around my head.” At around the 1:50 mark, the song shifts into an arpeggiating melody that, while minimalistic, still retains that lush, Beach House sound to it. The song embodies knowing you have a limited time in your environment and the motivation to finish out strong.

“Saltwater” has a sound that represents that first beach trip after classes start. The song’s melody sounds like it’s shimmering in that late-August sun, capturing its light and shining it like optimism for a new school year. The drums are perfectly distorted enough to sound like crashing waves on land.

All in all, Beach House’s self-titled album is a very strong debut,and it captures the feeling of stepping into a new environment very well. The dreamy nature of the album ties all of the feelings of starting a new semester together and is a great way to soundtrack the start of the new school year.