Depression Cherry
by Beach House
  • Record Label: Sub Pop
  • Release Date: Aug 28, 2015
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 34 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 34
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 34
  3. Negative: 0 out of 34
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  1. Entertainment Weekly
    Aug 28, 2015
    91
    Singer Victoria Legrand has a refreshingly unshowy croon that’s one of the most seductive in pop, and her gorgeous synth drones and guitarist Alex Scally’s effects-laden riffs are exquisite.
  2. The A.V. Club
    Aug 28, 2015
    91
    The band’s understanding of their own head-in-the-clouds aesthetic and knowing where to sew in (or cut out) the stitches to keep their sound in a constant, albeit low-key, flux results in much more of a mesmerizing experience than would changing directions entirely.
  3. Drowned In Sound
    Aug 27, 2015
    90
    This is music that lingers in the mind and seeps into the bones. And while you can view it as melancholic, Scally and Legrand never dwell on sentimentality or allow anything to sink into despondency.
  5. Exclaim
    Aug 26, 2015
    90
    Anyone who doesn't fall for Depression Cherry's hypnotic splendour probably just isn't a Beach House fan, or didn't live with the album long enough. But those who do will recognize this album as the sweeping, grand gesture they've been working up to giving us for the last nine years.
  6. Magnet
    Sep 22, 2015
    85
    Depression Chery has four masterful set pieces, staggered to hit as odd-numbered tracks, each deepening the pervasive sense of rediscovered romance. [No. 124, p.51]
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  7. The 405
    Aug 27, 2015
    85
    There's no faulting the album--it's stunning and well worth your time and money, but it's not their masterpiece, their seminal album. But that's hardly a criticism.
  8. The Line of Best Fit
    Aug 27, 2015
    85
    Depression Cherry is a beautiful record about darker times being a point in a journey, not the final destination. It shows its creators have a level of wisdom beyond their years.
  9. Pitchfork
    Aug 18, 2015
    84
    In every other sense it’s another impeccably measured step forward.
  10. Sputnikmusic
    Aug 28, 2015
    82
    Depression Cherry is a startlingly easy record to get lost in.
  11. American Songwriter
    Aug 28, 2015
    80
    Like the band’s 2008 album Devotion, Depression Cherry is an impressive showcase of the kind of beauty that two musicians are capable of when stripped down to a bare-bones approach. It’s worked before, and it works again here.
  12. The Guardian
    Aug 27, 2015
    80
    Depression Cherry may proudly adhere to every fuzzy touchstone of the genre, but it’s also a record on which every subtle chord shift and breathy sigh feels considered.
  13. AllMusic
    Aug 27, 2015
    80
    It's a grower that demands and rewards close listening--especially under headphones, where it unfolds like a spell cast just for the listener.
  14. NOW Magazine
    Aug 26, 2015
    80
    It's a downtempo album, especially its sleepier last third, but unlike its title suggests, it's not even a little depressing.
  15. Spin
    Aug 25, 2015
    80
    Depression Cherry’s particular non-specifics feel as full of breath and life as anything they’ve ever done--an album-length sigh as eloquent as a manifesto.
  16. Record Collector
    Aug 17, 2015
    80
    It’s the kind of album that’s easy to grow very attached to: a personal, secret soundtrack likely to be loved by many.
  17. Clash Music
    Aug 14, 2015
    80
    Fifth effort Depression Cherry is no different, and whilst haters could accuse the duo of being a one trick pony, you must ask yourself if you truly care when the pony is so damn gorgeous.
  18. Uncut
    Aug 6, 2015
    80
    Rarely before have the pair achieved [moments of transcendence and preserving them in amber] with this much grace and finesse. [Sep 2015, p.68]
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  19. Paste Magazine
    Aug 27, 2015
    77
    Depression Cherry doesn’t always have the emotional heft, or melodic impact, of their 2010 breakthrough Teen Dream or its follow-up, 2012’s Bloom, but the duo’s knack for crafting thoughtful, enveloping songs makes their return more than welcome.
  20. Pretty Much Amazing
    Aug 18, 2015
    75
    Minor sonic updates don’t entirely compensate for the lack of deep cuts, but it’s hard to fault Depression Cherry for playing to Beach House’s well-established strengths.
  21. Under The Radar
    Aug 6, 2015
    75
    As with many of their best songs, it takes a while for the lyrics to work their way out of the ether and into your brain. [Aug-Sep 2015, p.60]
  22. Punknews.org (Staff)
    Aug 28, 2015
    70
    Boring and tedious at times. But tension-filled and cinematic at others, which will leave you drifting into a beautiful abyss more often than not.
  23. Rolling Stone
    Aug 28, 2015
    70
    Throughout the album, Legrand's lyrics conjure vivid experience.
  24. Boston Globe
    Aug 27, 2015
    70
    If you are a Beach House fan and want a shimmering soundtrack to serve as a backdrop for daydreaming, then Depression Cherry should fit the bill. For everyone else, your mileage may vary wildly, even within the span of one listen.
  25. musicOMH.com
    Aug 27, 2015
    70
    Minor nitpicking aside, this is a Beach House record that sounds, above all else, like a Beach House record, and we should be glad that this house was left standing and not swept away with the dreampop tide.
  26. The New York Times
    Aug 26, 2015
    70
    You’ve heard these sounds before, and you’ve felt these feelings before. The added value here, if you want it, is the organization and rigor of the blankness.

Awards & Rankings

51
#51 Most Discussed Album of 2015
69
#69 Most Shared Album of 2015

User Reviews

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User Score
8.6

Universal acclaim- based on 179 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 163 out of 179
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 179
  3. Negative: 4 out of 179
  1. yesiamindeedjef
    Aug 28, 2015
    9
    This album is the cool, velvety pillow into which you thrust into your tear-stained face after a breakup, a divorce, or the death of a lovedThis album is the cool, velvety pillow into which you thrust into your tear-stained face after a breakup, a divorce, or the death of a loved one. It is safety, it is warmth, it is comfort, it is reassurance. You can tell by the way Victoria Legrand sighs her simple, poetic lyrics, and by the way the soft synths envelop you like warm water, easing your muscles and your conscience into a state of relaxation. Critics of this album can't seem to come to a consensus: some say it's too similar to their earlier work, others say it's too different. I say it doesn't matter. Take the album on its own terms and it is both a worthy piece of art and a comforting, safe little nook for those who need it.… Full Review »
  2. svohljott
    Aug 28, 2015
    10
    stunning album, their best to date. every song takes its right place on track list, every triad of songs forms a statement: build up is aboutstunning album, their best to date. every song takes its right place on track list, every triad of songs forms a statement: build up is about mysterious, mythological place - haunting, you'd about to return to; core is emotional climax, songs about progression of time and about time itself; and coda - songs that soothe your mind and make you feel. totally, album creates around your mind an aura of that strange feeling the band called "depression cherry" - almost sadness, almost bloody - but just a time of your life, that you'll easil break through. if you listen it, than you'd understand.… Full Review »
  3. ndwelp
    Aug 29, 2015
    9
    Though it may not be as anthemic and polished as their two previous efforts, Depression Cherry instead presents an even more intimate andThough it may not be as anthemic and polished as their two previous efforts, Depression Cherry instead presents an even more intimate and personal Beach House that takes hold of your soul from start to finish. With such stunning tracks like "Space Song" and "PPP", Scally and Legrand once again demonstrate their mystical yet seemingly effortless ability to sweep listeners off their feet and into the clouds.… Full Review »
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