Another month, another surprise album, but this time with the added twist that the last Beach House album dropped less than two months prior. Though written separately 'Thank Your Lucky Stars' was recorded as the same time as the gorgeous 'Depression Cherry' and does beg the question why this wasn't released as a double album? Visions of a beautifully packaged 18 track LP aside the duo have managed to give 'Cherry…' a confident, scrappy brother come companion piece.
While they're never going to sound like Slayer, this is arguably Beach House's most masculine sounding release in a while; the guitar leading overall proceedings and sharing much blood with previous single 'Sparks'. Opener 'Majorette' and the following 'She's So Lovely' brings layered melancholy to the ears once more, but does so in a far more direct fashion. Sure it's still as dramatic and wistful as you want, but the sound is more open and organic. If 'Depression Cheery' drowned you in a pool of your own lost memories, 'Thank Your Lucky Stars' gently smothers you with a pillow instead.
On 'All Your Yeahs' the group fantastically strip things back to a more simple bass led arrangement, allowing Victoria Legrand's talk of dead flowers and rollercoasters paint the gloomy picture. It's cinematic, emotive and…almost danceable. The nocturnal groove of 'One Thing' helps add weight to the albums cause of being a true stand-alone release and is lifted by some great floating synth work and a cheeky guitar outro. Baroque Pop is tackled admirably with the following 'Common Girl' while 'The Traveller 'takes the listener to an astral realm with some sweet high notes.
Cheerily titled 'Elegy To The World' is a slow burner that builds to some avant-garde guitar washes for added depth. Finishing shot 'Somewhere Tonight' returns somewhat to 'Teen Dream' territory, itself sounding as if it should belong on the next Sofia Coppola tale of lost youth. It's the nearest thing to a straight love song and a brilliantly executed one at that. Overall 'Thank Your Lucky Stars' just barely misses the heights reached a few months before, its more simple nature ensuring it's unable to seduce the heart and head in the same manner. However, it's a damn fine record and manages to avoid treading exactly the same ground its older sister did.
7/10
Words: Sam Walker-Smart
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