Depression Cherry Explained

Depression Cherry
Type:studio
Artist:Beach House
Cover:Beach House - Depression Cherry.png
Recorded:November 2014 – January 2015
Studio:Studio in the Country
(Bogalusa, Louisiana)
Genre:Dream pop
Length:44:45
Prev Title:Bloom
Prev Year:2012
Next Title:Thank Your Lucky Stars
Next Year:2015

Depression Cherry is the fifth studio album by the American dream pop duo Beach House. It was co-produced by the group and Chris Coady, and was released on August 28, 2015, by Sub Pop in the US, Bella Union in Europe, Mistletone Records in Australia, Hostess Entertainment in Japan and Arts & Crafts in Mexico. The album was recorded at Studio in the Country in Bogalusa, Louisiana, from November 2014 to January 2015. Reacting to their dissatisfaction with using live drums on tour to play songs from their previous album, Bloom (2012), for Depression Cherry, the band returned to simpler song arrangements, similar to those of its first two studio albums. "Sparks" was released as the lead single on July 1. The album received mostly positive reviews from critics. Less than two months after releasing Depression Cherry, Beach House followed it up with their sixth album, Thank Your Lucky Stars.

Background and recording

After Beach House completed touring for their previous record Bloom (2012), the group took a six-month break.[1] Uncertain about their future, singer/keyboardist Victoria Legrand said, "I didn't feel creative at all... I just thought well, maybe I'll never have another musical idea."[2] She added, "I just personally felt I needed a couple of months of just not doing anything, I didn't have thoughts."[1] Legrand found herself frustrated and limited creatively by the presence of a live drum set on tour to play Blooms songs because of "the noise it creates and how much space it fills".[1] Guitarist Alex Scally concurred, saying, "There was a transparent feeling, [the songs] didn't feel as nuanced."[1]

Though some of Depression Cherrys musical ideas originated in 2012, Beach House wrote the majority of the record between the autumn of 2013 and 2014; "10:37" was one of the first songs to be written during this period.[3] The album was recorded at Studio in the Country in Bogalusa, Louisiana over two months,[4] [5] from November 2014 to January 2015.[6] It was co-produced by Chris Coady, who worked on the band's previous two records, Teen Dream (2010) and Bloom.[7] Prior to joining the band in the studio, they sent him phone recordings of some of their in-progress songs.[3] For the song "Days of Candy", they hired eight singers from Pearl River Community College to create a 24-part choir.[4] After completing that song and "Levitation", the band knew they had the album's closing and opening tracks, respectively, and considered the record completed.[3] The album was mixed at Sunset Sound in Hollywood, California, except "Beyond Love", which was mixed at Sonic Ranch in Tornillo, Texas.

Promotion and release

On May 26, 2015, Beach House announced Depression Cherry along with tour dates supporting the album.[6] [8] According to the band, the album is a return to the simpler style of dream pop from their first two albums. In a press release on the Sub Pop website, the group said:

Vinyl and compact disc copies of the album feature a cover lined with red velvet. A limited edition "Loser Edition" of the album was released on clear vinyl record.[9]

On July 1, 2015, Beach House released the album's lead single, "Sparks".[10] On August 6 of the same year, "PPP" and "Beyond Love" were released as the album's second and third singles.[11] All three singles were also published through the band's website and could be accessed through the "Single Finder" feature;[12] the feature allows one to choose three of their favorite songs from the band's past catalog and depending on their choices, it determines which single would likely be their favorite.[13] On August 19, nine days before the release of Depression Cherry, NPR Music made a stream of the album available online.[14]

Commercial performance

Depression Cherry debuted at number eight on the Billboard 200, with 27,000 copies sold in its first week.[15]

Reception

Depression Cherry received mostly positive reviews from contemporary music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 76, based on 34 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".

Accolades

PublicationAccoladeRank
Blare MagazineTop 50 Albums of 2015[16]
Complex50 Best Albums of 2015[17]
CrackBest Albums of 2015[18]
Diffuser.fmThe 50 Best Albums of 2015[19]
Drowned in SoundFavorite Albums of the Year 2015[20]
GigwiseAlbums of the Year 2015[21]
Gorilla vs. BearAlbums of 2015[22]
musicOMHTop 50 Albums Of 2015[23]
No RipcordTop 50 Albums of 2015[24]
Paste50 Best Albums of 2015[25]
PitchforkThe 50 Best Albums of 2015[26]
PopMatters80 Best Albums of 2015[27]
Pretty Much AmazingThe 50 Best Albums of 2015[28]
Rolling Stone50 Best Albums of 2015[29]
Rough TradeAlbums of the Year 2015[30]
SpinThe 50 Best Albums of 2015[31]
SputnikmusicTop 50 Albums of 2015[32]
StereogumThe 50 Best Albums of 2015[33]
The SkinnyTop 50 Best Albums of 2015[34]
The Daily TelegraphThe Best Albums of 2015[35]
The Vinyl FactoryThe 50 Best LPs of 2015[36]
Under the RadarTop 100 Albums of 2015[37]

Track listing

All lyrics written by Victoria Legrand; all music composed and arranged by Beach House.

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Depression Cherry.[38]

Beach House

Additional musicians

Production

Artwork

Charts

Year-end charts

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Perfect Moments: Beach House. DIY. Danny. Wright. August 24, 2015. August 28, 2015. August 25, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150825130653/http://diymag.com/2015/08/24/perfect-moments-beach-house-1. live.
  2. Web site: Beach House's Victoria Legrand on Minimalism, Commercialism and Depression Cherry. Paste. Jonathan. Dick. August 25, 2015. August 28, 2015. August 29, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150829182832/http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2015/08/beach-houses-victoria-legrand-on-minimalism-commer-1.html. live.
  3. Web site: Beach House: Hear the Universe Interview. Under the Radar. Matt. Fink. August 28, 2015. August 28, 2015. August 30, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150830080634/http://www.undertheradarmag.com/interviews/hear_the_universe. live.
  4. Web site: All the Feels: Beach House's Intangible Truth. Pitchfork Media. Julian. Mapes. July 30, 2015. August 28, 2015. August 24, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150824194823/http://pitchfork.com/features/profiles/9694-all-the-feels-beach-houses-intangible-truth/. live.
  5. Web site: Deeper Connection: Beach House. Clash. Gemma. Hampson. August 25, 2015. August 28, 2015. August 26, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150826232748/http://www.clashmusic.com/features/deeper-connection-beach-house. live.
  6. Web site: Case. Wesley. Beach House to release new album, 'Depression Cherry,' in August. The Baltimore Sun. Tribune Publishing. May 26, 2015. May 28, 2015. May 28, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150528220621/http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/music/midnight-sun-blog/bal-beach-house-to-release-new-album-depression-cherry-august-story.html. live.
  7. Web site: Beach House stays true to its vision. The Boston Globe. James. Reed. August 22, 2015. August 28, 2015. August 26, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150826210642/http://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/music/2015/08/22/beach-house-stays-true-its-vision/o0NQ7Lv2pqlkhaxrsg7mEM/story.html. live.
  8. Web site: Beach House Announce New Album, 'Depression Cherry'. Spin. Rachel. Brodsky. May 26, 2015. August 28, 2015. November 23, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151123160643/http://www.spin.com/2015/05/beach-house-depression-cherry-tour-dates/. live.
  9. Web site: Beach House Announce New Album Depression Cherry and World Tour. Pitchfork Media. Amy. Phillips. May 26, 2015. August 29, 2015. August 31, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150831175028/http://pitchfork.com/news/57120-beach-house-announce-new-album-depression-cherry-and-world-tour/. live.
  10. Web site: Beach House – 'Sparks'. Stereogum. SpinMedia. Gabriela Tully. Claymore. July 1, 2015. August 28, 2015. September 5, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150905192536/http://www.stereogum.com/1812439/beach-house-sparks/mp3s/. live.
  11. Web site: Beach House Preview Depression Cherry Tracks "PPP" and "Beyond Love". Jeremy. Gordon. August 6, 2015. April 30, 2023. Pitchfork.
  12. Web site: Beach House Share 'Beyond Love,' 'PPP' via Website Questionnaire. August 10, 2015. April 30, 2024. Brown. Harley. Spin.
  13. Web site: Beach House share new songs off 'Depression Cherry' -- if you'll play a game with them. August 10, 2015. April 30, 2024. Vain. Madison. Entertainment Weekly.
  14. Web site: First Listen: Beach House, Depression Cherry. NPR Music. NPR. Stephen. Thompson. August 19, 2015. August 20, 2015. August 20, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150820035832/http://www.npr.org/2015/08/19/432022528/first-listen-beach-house-depression-cherry. live.
  15. Surprise! Beach House Is Dropping a New Album Next Week. Billboard. Chris. Payne. October 8, 2015. August 10, 2018. August 11, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180811002433/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/6722609/beach-house-new-album-thank-your-lucky-stars-2015. live.
  16. Web site: The Top 50 Albums Of 2015. 2015-12-10. Blare. 2017-05-08. December 15, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151215022502/http://blaremagazine.com/2015/12/10/the-top-50-albums-of-2015/. live.
  17. Web site: The Best Albums of 2015. Complex. 2017-05-08. June 23, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150623030111/http://www.complex.com/music/best-albums-of-2015/. live.
  18. News: Albums Of The Year 2015. Crack. 2017-05-08. April 16, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170416145948/http://crackmagazine.net/article/music/albums-of-the-year/. live.
  19. Web site: The 50 Best Albums of 2015. Diffuser.fm. December 8, 2015 . 2017-05-08. December 11, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151211172545/http://diffuser.fm/the-50-best-albums-of-2015/. live.
  20. News: Drowned in Sound's Favourite Albums of the Year 2015. Drowned In Sound. 2017-05-08. 2016-04-16. https://web.archive.org/web/20160416131244/http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/4149657-drowned-in-sounds-favourite-albums-of-the-year-2015. dead.
  21. Web site: Gigwise's albums of the year. Gigwise. 2017-05-08. April 17, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170417043835/http://www.gigwise.com/features/104664/best-albums-of-the-year-2015-ezra-furman-kendrick-sufjan. live.
  22. Web site: GORILLA VS. BEAR'S ALBUMS OF 2015. Gorilla vs. Bear. December 2015 . May 9, 2017. May 8, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170508143500/http://www.gorillavsbear.net/gorilla-vs-bears-albums-of-2015/. live.
  23. Web site: musicOMH's Top 50 Albums Of 2015. musicOMH. December 18, 2015 . May 9, 2017. May 17, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170517124418/https://www.musicomh.com/features/lists/musicomhs-top-50-albums-2015. live.
  24. Web site: Top Albums of 2015. No Ripcord. 2017-05-08. April 15, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170415103554/http://www.noripcord.com/features/top-albums-2015. live.
  25. News: The 50 Best Albums of 2015. Paste. 2017-05-08. July 10, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170710085358/https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2015/12/the-50-best-albums-of-2015.html. live.
  26. Web site: The 50 Best Albums of 2015. Pitchfork. December 16, 2015. December 16, 2015. December 18, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151218152929/http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/9764-the-50-best-albums-of-2015/2/. live.
  27. News: The 80 Best Albums of 2015. PopMatters. 2017-05-08. October 17, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171017202248/http://www.popmatters.com/feature/the-80-best-albums-of-2015/. live.
  28. News: The 50 Best Albums of 2015. Pretty Much Amazing. 2017-05-08. June 13, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160613122005/http://prettymuchamazing.com/features/best-albums-2015. live.
  29. 50 Best Albums of 2015. Rolling Stone. December 2015 . 2017-05-08. September 30, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170930063936/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/50-best-albums-of-2015-20151201. live.
  30. Web site: Albums of the Year 2015 . . Rough Trade shops . November 25, 2015 . December 10, 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20151205191530/http://www.roughtrade.com/aoty15 . December 5, 2015 .
  31. News: The 50 Best Albums of 2015. 2015-12-01. Spin. 2017-05-08. March 17, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170317075144/http://www.spin.com/featured/the-50-best-albums-of-2015/. live.
  32. Web site: Staff's Top 50 Albums of 2015: 50 – 31. Sputnikmusic. 2017-05-08. April 21, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230421001643/https://www.sputnikmusic.com/blog/2015/12/16/staffs-top-50-albums-of-2015-50-31/. live.
  33. Web site: The 50 Best Albums Of 2015. Stereogum. SpinMedia. Peter. Helman. December 1, 2015. December 10, 2015. December 9, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151209030520/http://www.stereogum.com/1845609/the-50-best-albums-of-2015/franchises/2015-in-review/. live.
  34. News: The 50 Best Albums of 2015 - The year in review. The Skinny. 2017-05-08. June 19, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160619051844/http://www.theskinny.co.uk/music/opinion/albums-of-the-year/50-best-albums-of-2015. live.
  35. News: The best albums of 2015. The Daily Telegraph. 2017-05-08. November 15, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181115195001/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/what-to-listen-to/the-best-pop-and-rock-albums-of-2015/. live.
  36. News: The 50 Best LPs of 2015. The Vinyl Factory. May 9, 2017. April 24, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170424172212/http://thevinylfactory.com/features/the-50-best-albums-of-2015/. live.
  37. Web site: Under the Radar's Top 100 Albums of 2015. Under the Radar. 2017-05-08. October 30, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171030190640/http://www.undertheradarmag.com/lists/under_the_radars_top_100_albums_of_2015/. live.
  38. Depression Cherry . CD liner notes . . 2015 . SP1122.
  39. Independent Albums: Year End 2015 . Billboard . Prometheus Global Media . December 10, 2015 . December 15, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151215033418/http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2015/independent-albums . live .

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