I had a bit of a dilemma this week. I've been under the weather; and, with the exception of this weekly activity, my running hasn't been as consistent as I'd like. So this wasn't a week for me to review one of the hour-plus albums I've had on my list for a while. Those will require a little more training. Or, maybe, I'll have to do a Saturday/Sunday Run Album Review or something.
In trying to figure out what to review, I remembered something I'd seen on A.V. Undercover a few weeks back. It was Canadian duo Memoryhouse doing The Police's "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic." I enjoyed that, so I fired up the AmazonMP3 app on my new Android phone and purchased The Slideshow Effect to stream during today's run.
I guess Memoryhouse falls into the dream pop category along with Beach House; but to me, at least, Memoryhouse is a bit more direct and a bit less overdone on this album than Beach House. The band grew out of an art project of sorts that attempted to combine the creative interests of its members. Photographer/vocalist Denise Nouvion has a voice that, like the rest of the record, begins to sound more interesting the longer you listen. I hate words like this, but the adjective I kept thinking of to describe Nouvion's voice here is "present." Classical-turned-pop composer Evan Abeele has created sounds ranging from AM radio pop to the synth pop of The Postal Service to the alt-country of Clem Snide, much of the time all in the same song.
Standout examples of the band's style include early album tracks "The Kids Were Wrong" and "All Our Wonder," the not-quite-country "Bonfire," and dream poppy album closer "Old Haunts."
Beach House has been getting all of the attention this week with the release of Bloom, but don't overlook this full-length debut from Memoryhouse. It's accessible enough to catch your attention, and there's enough going on beneath the surface for that attention to be rewarded.
Here's "Bonfire:"
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