In a conscious effort to sit down and write about Beach House’s latest release, Teen Dream, I initially had trouble sitting still and staying focused, as this album has moved me in all senses of the word 'move'. Over and over, Victoria Legrand’s voice is reminding me that “You are not the same as you used to be,” and so I must admit, I have changed a lot since I first heard Beach House's sophomore album, Devotion, in 2006. Now, nearly four years later, I am realizing “Used to Be” isn’t even how it use to be, in the most necessary way.

Subtle yellow stripes decorate the album cover, and as the artwork prepares the listener for the first track, “Zebra,” Legrand’s assured voice comes in: “You know you're gold, you don’t gotta worry none.” The velvety voiced Victoria offers a new sophistication, and we can hear her head held up high throughout the entirety of this intro.

The third full-length record this Baltimore duo, Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally, has created is quite possibly, in my opinion, the best indie-pop album of the year, if not of all time. Teen Dream was produced by Chris Cody, who is best known for his collaborations with Grizzly Bear, The Yeah Yeahs, and TV on the Radio. The pair recorded Teen Dream in upstate New York, in a converted church called Dreamland, and as a result the album was appropriately titled. The organ draws us in on the second track, "Silver Soul," with a slow and steady march and lyrics that help us decide “It is happening again.” And suddenly, in pleasing puzzlement, we are not just listeners; instead, we become part of an experience. Then, before we know it we have slipped into the predominant beat of “Norway,” the duo’s breathy single that proves that there is, in fact, a place you can look forward to having a broken heart.

The seduction continues as “Walk in The Park” becomes a break-up's nostalgic anthem. It is this song that best represents thinking versus feeling when love ends: “In a matter of time, you will slip from my mind, in and out of my life, you would slip from my mind.” The album offers cohesive variety as it can be considered a tribute to three separate decades, with the soul of the 60s, trippy haze of the 70s, and technicolor synth beats of the 80s. The track “Lover of Mine” stays connected with the rest of the album, but also encourages us to let it out on the dance floor.

The vinyl version of Teen Dream features beautifully crafted artwork that best represents the ideas of the album. Pink lipstick-scrawled "Teen Dream" stretches across the inside of the record's cover and includes a poster, hand-written lyrics, and a DVD bonus, which provides a music video for every track on the album. All different directors, including Victoria Legrand, made the music videos.

The album wraps up with the track "Take Care," which sings to us like a lullaby with a simple wavering synth beat and humming a promise, “I’ll take care of you, I'll take care of you, if you want me to.” Teen Dream has a heavy heart built out of perfect percussions, concise cascading guitars, and a voice that sings to the better part of our sadness. There is certainly nothing infantile about this teen dream, as it reminds us we are people that may just fall in and out of love forever.