"Myth" is a song by American dream pop duo Beach House. The song was released on March 7, 2012, through Sub Pop, on the band's website, as the lead single for the band's fourth studio album, Bloom. The song was written and produced entirely by the duo, along with co-production from Chris Coady, and was recorded alongside the album in 2011 at Sonic Ranch in Tornillo, Texas.
A dream pop track, "Myth" received universal acclaim from music critics upon release, who considered it a fascinating evolution in their musical style; it was also considered as one of the duo's best songs to date and one of the best songs of the year. The song was also performed live on Late Show with David Letterman and Later... with Jools Holland. In 2023, the song was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting a total of 500,000 units sold in the United States.
Background and recording
In 2009, Beach House began working on their third studio album, Teen Dream, when they eventually signed a label contract with Sub Pop, departing from Carpark Records, where they released their first two studio albums.[1][2] Aside from the entire album being leaked on the internet that same year,[3] it was released officially on January 26, 2010, through Sub Pop, garnering universal acclaim among several contemporary music critics.[4][5] In 2012, the duo announced their fourth studio album, Bloom, including "Myth" as its opening track.[6][7]
The album, as well as "Myth", was recorded within a seven-week period in 2011 at Sonic Ranch in Tornillo, Texas.[8] It was additionally mixed at Electric Lady Studios in New York City.[8] The song's title originated from the word "Myths" being written on Legrand's notebook, with nothing else written, with her additionally stating that the song "is a beautiful journey of what it takes to make something and to create something, and the vastness of that".[9]
Serving as the opening track for Bloom, "Myth" runs at a length of four minutes and 18 seconds.[11] A dream pop track,[12] it begins with a simple cowbell beat,[13] arpeggiated keys and a build-up of live drums,[14] along with a bass synth that begins playing before Legrand starts singing about 45 seconds in.[15] She sings in the song's first verse, "Drifting in and out, you see the road you're on".[16] Halfway through the song, there is a key change and Legrand sings in the chorus, with layers of echo,[10] "Found yourself in a new direction / arrows falling from the sun".[2] Marc Hogan from Spin referred to the song's instrumental arrangements as an "amalgam of sinuous guitars, glistening synths, galloping drums, hazy reverb".[2] Ace Ubas from Beats Per Minute described the song's outro to have used a "pedal combo of distortion and delay".[17]
Upon initial release, "Myth" received universal acclaim from contemporary music critics. An author from Billboard gave the song 4.5 out of 5 stars, stating that it is "the sonic equivalent of comfort food — a savory buffet spread of the musical trademarks the group has already perfected elsewhere".[11] Ace Ubas from Beats Per Minute rated it a 9 out of 10, complimenting its instrumental arrangement and concluding with, "This is Beach House at their best and shows that they look to top Teen Dream".[17] It was chosen upon release as "Best New Track" by Larry Fitzmaurice of Pitchfork, who wrote, "What sets 'Myth' as another sonic evolution for Beach House, then, is all in the details." Fitzmaurice continues by saying, "The layers of echo surrounding Legrand's voice during its chorus, as well as the gauzy glow wrapped around everything, give the impression that the airy expansiveness of 2010's Teen Dream has contracted, but somehow the sound is just as 'big', if not bigger, than before."[10]
Most critics found "Myth" to be a highlight track from Bloom. J. Pace of Under the Radar considered it "a powerful opener, instantly on par with Teen Dream's finest".[14] Michell Eloy from Paste said that it "evokes a dream-like state with its simple, repetitive keystrokes and synth overlay", additionally "stand[ing] in contrast to Legrand's lyrics".[28] Responding favourably, Alex Denney of NME said that it "retains the hi-def sparkle of [Teen Dream] without especially adding anything new".[29] Somewhat less enthusiastic, Maddy Costa of The Guardian considered the song, along with "Other People", as a "conventional verse-chorus-middle-eight pop number[...]", which are "all more or less catchy".[30] "Myth" was named the eighth best song of 2012 by Brian Howe of Pitchfork, who considered it one of the band's "most powerful" songs to date.[31]
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