The atmospheric psych-rock of Baltimore duo Beach House continues to win over swaths of fans, both on the road and from their studio albums (2015 saw the release of two albums including Depression Cherry, the group's second U.S. Top 10 effort). Now, they're taking time to look back on a new compilation.
B-Sides and Rarities scoops up 14 non-album cuts, hidden tracks and outtakes in one handy collection. Spanning from the release of their debut album in 2005 and stopping a decade later at the Depression Cherry and Thank Your Lucky Stars sessions, it's the place to find rarities like the original single version of the track "Used to Be," the "holiday song" "I Do Not Care for the Winter Sun," released for free in 2010 and newly mastered for this album, and even a cover of Queen's "Play the Game" for a 4AD AIDS benefit compilation. (The band says royalties will still go to charity as planned.)
"Over the years, as we have worked on our six LPs, it wasn't the 'best' or most catchy songs that made the records, just the ones that fit together to make a cohesive work," the duo (consisting of French-born, Nico-esque vocalist/keyboardist Victoria Legrand and guitarist/bassist Alex Scally) said of B-Sides and Rarities. "Accordingly, our B-sides are not songs that we didn't like as much, just ones that didn't have a place on the records we were making."
The compilation, out June 30, is available on CD or LP, with Sub Pop's store offering a clear vinyl "loser edition" variant. Amazon links and the full track list are below!
B-Sides and Rarities (Sub Pop SP-1205 (U.S.)/Bella Union Records (U.K.), 2017)
CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon Canada / Amazon U.K.
LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon Canada / Amazon U.K.
- Chariot
- Baby
- Equal Mind
- Used to Be (2008 Single Version)
- White Moon (iTunes Session - Remix)
- Baseball Diamond
- Norway (iTunes Session - Remix)
- Play the Game
- The Arrangement
- Saturn Song
- Rain In Numbers
- I Do Not Care for the Winter Sun
- 10 Mile Stereo (Cough Syrup Remix)
- Wherever You Go
Tracks 1 and 6 are previously unreleased outtakes from sessions for Depression Cherry (Sub Pop SP-1122, 2015) and Thank Your Lucky Stars (Sub Pop SP-1142, 2015)
Tracks 2, 9 and 13 from "Zebra" EP - Sub Pop SP-877, 2010
Track 3 from "Lazuli" single - Sub Pop SP-1008, 2012
Track 4 from Carpark Records single CAK-46, 2008
Tracks 5 and 7 are new mixes of tracks from Beach House - iTunes Session (Sub Pop, 2010)
Track 8 is an iTunes bonus track from Dark Was the Night (4AD, 2009)
Track 10 from The Space Project (Lefse Records 064, 2014)
Track 11 is a hidden track from Beach House (Carpark Records CRPK-035, 2006
Track 12 released as free unmastered track, 2010
Track 14 is a hidden track from Bloom (Sub Pop SP-965, 2012)
Willard says
I can't wait for this! I've been a fan of just about everything I've heard from them.