Become (EP)

For the Seventh Wonder album, see Become (album).

Become
EP by
Beach House
ReleasedApril 22, 2023 (2023-04-22)
RecordedMay 2018 – July 2021
Studio
GenreDream pop
Length24:27
LabelSub Pop
ProducerBeach House
Beach House chronology
Once Twice Melody
(2022) 		Become
(2023)

Become is an extended play by the American dream pop band Beach House. It was first released on April 22, 2023, as a Record Store Day exclusive, later being made available for music streaming platforms on April 28, followed by a release on CD and other formats on May 19. As stated by the band, the songs included in the EP were recorded during the recording sessions for their eighth studio album Once Twice Melody (2022), which took place from 2018 through 2021.

Background and composition

On February 18, 2022, Beach House released their eighth studio album Once Twice Melody.[1] A double album, it was released in four chapters starting November 2021.[2] On February 16 of the following year, an announcement was made by the duo that they would be sharing five tracks from the Once Twice Melody recording sessions as a separate EP.[3] The five tracks were recorded from May 2018 to July 2021, and were written, produced and performed entirely by the band.[4][5] It was mastered by Greg Calbi and Steve Fallone at Sterling Sound.[6] The songs were described by the group as "[not fitting] in the world of [Once Twice Melody], but... a little world of their own", possessing a more "scuzzy" and "spacious" sound.[7]

The EP's first track, "American Daughter", consist of "crystalline" guitar arpeggios and a supporting "propulsive" rhythm.[8] "Devil's Pool" features Victoria Legrand's "haunt[ing] and shimmer[ing]" vocals, with supported elements of Casio-like beats and string arrangements.[8][9] "Holiday House" is made of "floaty" synthesizers, while the title track contains a continuous strummed guitar, compared to that of Radiohead's "Fake Plastic Trees".[8]

Release and reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Pitchfork6.8/10[8]

Become was first released on "crystal-clear" vinyl as a Record Store Day exclusive on April 22, 2023.[7] It was later released onto music streaming platforms six days later, on April 28, by Sub Pop.[10][11] The EP further saw a wider available release on physical formats including black vinyl, CD and cassette on May 19.[12][13] On December 11, 2023, Beach House performed the EP's second track, "Devil's Pool", for the first time during their "stripped-down" show at Johnny Brenda's in Philadelphia.[14]

In a favorable review, Marc Hogan of Pitchfork suggested that the EP is "sumptuous and starry enough to play alongside Once Twice Melody without dampening the mood", also stating that it is "pleasant but still feels like an afterthought".[8]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Beach House.

Become track listing
No.TitleLength
1."American Daughter"4:15
2."Devil's Pool"4:00
3."Holiday House"5:06
4."Black Magic"5:08
5."Become"5:58
Total length:24:27

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Become.[5]

Beach House

Production

  • Nick Tveitbakk – engineering (tracks 2, 3, 5)
  • Johnny Morgan – assistant engineering (tracks 1, 4)
  • David Campbell – live strings arrangement (tracks 2, 5)
  • Alan Moulder – mixing (track 1)
  • Trevor Spencer – mixing (tracks 2, 3, 5)
  • Caesar Edmunds – mixing (track 4)
  • Greg Calbi – mastering
  • Steve Fallone – mastering

Artwork

  • Nicholas Law – album art
  • Jeff Kleinsmith – art direction, design

Charts

Chart performance for Become
Chart (2023) Peak
position
Scottish Albums (OCC)[15] 79
UK Album Downloads (OCC)[16] 40
UK Album Sales (OCC)[17] 74
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[18] 22
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[19] 37
US Top Album Sales (Billboard)[20] 24

References

  1. ^ Studarus, Laura (February 18, 2022). "Beach House, Their Muses, And 'Once Twice Melody'". MTV News. Archived from the original on September 26, 2022. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
  2. ^ Weinberg, Silken (February 25, 2022). "Modern Love Stories: An Exclusive Interview with Beach House". Teeth. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
  3. ^ Bloom, Madison (February 16, 2023). "Beach House Announce New Become EP". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  4. ^ "New Music Friday: Stream projects from Tony Shhnow, Avalon Emerson & the Charm, and more". The Fader. April 28, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
  5. ^ a b Become (LP liner notes). Beach House. Sub Pop. 2023. SP1545.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  6. ^ Gonzalez, Alex (February 16, 2023). "Beach House Announces Their New EP, 'Become,' Featuring Outtakes From The 'Once Twice Melody' Sessions". Uproxx. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
  7. ^ a b Records, Sub Pop. "Beach House's Become: A New, Five-Song EP, to Be Released as a Record Store Day Exclusive on April 22nd, 2023". Sub Pop Records. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  8. ^ a b c d e Hogan, Marc (April 29, 2023). "Beach House: Become EP Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  9. ^ Meagher, John (May 5, 2023). "New albums from Cian Nugent and Beach House: Languid and laidback music that celebrates the nuances of life". Irish Independent. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  10. ^ Strauss, Matthew (April 22, 2023). "Listen to Beach House's New Become EP". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
  11. ^ Jones, Abby (April 28, 2023). "Beach House release Become, a new five-song EP". Consequence. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  12. ^ Chelosky, Danielle (April 27, 2023). "Beach House's New EP 'Become' Will Hit Streaming Services After Initially Only Being Released On Vinyl". Uproxx. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
  13. ^ Duran, Anagricel (April 27, 2023). "Beach House announce wider release of 'Become' EP". NME. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  14. ^ Jones, Abby (December 12, 2023). "Beach House Perform Some Rarities for the First Time in Over a Decade". Consequence. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
  15. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart on 28/4/2023 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  16. ^ "Official Album Downloads Chart on 5/5/2023 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  17. ^ "Official Physical Albums Chart Top 100: 28 April 2023 – 04 May 2023". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  18. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart on 28/4/2023 – Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  19. ^ "Beach House Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  20. ^ "Beach House Chart History (Top Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
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