Norway (song)

Last updated
"Norway"
Norway-BeachHouse-Single.jpg
Single by Beach House
from the album Teen Dream
B-side "Baby"
ReleasedJanuary 18, 2010
Genre
Length4:03
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Beach House singles chronology
"Used to Be"
(2008)
"Norway"
(2010)
"Zebra"
(2010)

"Norway" is a song by American dream pop band Beach House, from their third studio album, Teen Dream . The song was released on January 18, 2010, with "Baby" as its B-side. The song was released as a free download on the band's site on November 17, 2009, before its commercial release. [1]

Contents

Critical reception

"Norway" received very positive reviews from contemporary music critics. The song was chosen upon release as Pitchfork Media's "Best New Track". Aaron Leitko stated that, "'Norway', the lead track from Teen Dream, the duo's Sub Pop debut, raises the temperature a few degrees. A percussive intro yields to an explosion of twinkling guitars and a chorus of woozy backing vocals. The core elements of Beach House's sound-- the drum machine, the thrift store keyboards-- are still present; they're just a few ticks faster. This makes a big difference. As it turns out, Beach House goes from dour to exuberant in just a few BPM." Leitko continues by saying, "Legrand, whose vocals have been saddled with Nico comparisons, can finally breathe a sigh of relief, too. The 1960s chanteuse's shadow is nowhere to be found here. 'You let us in the wooden house/ To share in all the wealth,' sings Legrand over a carsick slide guitar riff. No, 'Norway' is radiant with the sunshiny 70s pop vibes. It's Stevie Nicks territory, for sure. Climate change has come to Beach House, and the weather suits them beautifully." [2]

Track listing

"Norway" single track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Norway"4:03
2."Baby"3:01

Charts

Chart performance for "Norway"
Chart (2010)Peak
position
Mexico Ingles Airplay ( Billboard ) [3] 12
UK Physical Singles (OCC) [4] 41

Related Research Articles

Dream pop is a subgenre of alternative rock and neo-psychedelia that emphasizes atmosphere and sonic texture as much as pop melody. Common characteristics include breathy vocals, dense productions, and effects such as reverb, echo, tremolo, and chorus. It often overlaps with the related genre of shoegaze, and the two genre terms have at times been used interchangeably.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The National (band)</span> American indie rock band

The National is an American rock band from Cincinnati, Ohio, formed in Brooklyn, New York City, in 1999. The band consists of Matt Berninger (vocals), twin brothers Aaron Dessner and Bryce Dessner, as well as brothers Scott Devendorf (bass) and Bryan Devendorf (drums). During live performances, the band is joined by longtime touring members, Ben Lanz and Kyle Resnick. Carin Besser, the wife of Berninger, is not a band member but has written lyrics for the band alongside her husband since its 2007 album Boxer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grizzly Bear (band)</span> American rock band

Grizzly Bear is an American rock band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2002. For most of its tenure, the band has consisted of Edward Droste, Daniel Rossen, Chris Taylor, and Christopher Bear. The band employed both traditional and electronic instruments, and their sound has been categorized as psychedelic pop, folk rock, and experimental. The band was known for their use of vocal harmony, with all four members contributing vocals and lead vocals alternating between Rossen and Droste.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beach House</span> American indie rock duo

Beach House is an American indie band formed in Baltimore in 2004 by current members Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally. Their work is characterized by a hypnotic dream pop style.

<i>Beach House</i> (album) 2006 studio album by Beach House

Beach House is the debut studio album by American dream pop duo Beach House. It was released on October 3, 2006, by Carpark Records in North America, Bella Union in Europe, and Mistletone Records in Australia. The album received mostly positive reviews from music critics.

<i>Devotion</i> (Beach House album) 2008 studio album by Beach House

Devotion is the second studio album by American dream pop duo Beach House. It was released on February 26, 2008, by Carpark Records in North America, Bella Union in Europe, and Mistletone Records in Australia. Written in the early months of 2007, it was recorded at Lord Baltimore Recording Studio within two months. The album was released to mostly positive reviews from music critics and is their first album to enter the Billboard 200 chart, debuting at number 195, selling roughly 3,000 copies upon its release. As of April 2012 Devotion has sold 49,000 copies in the United States according to Nielsen Soundscan.

<i>Dont Stop</i> (Annie album) 2009 studio album by Annie

Don't Stop is the second studio album by Norwegian singer Annie. Originally intended for a 2008 release on UK-based label Island Records, the planned release date was pushed back. Annie left Island for Norwegian independent label Smalltown Supersound, which released a revised version of the album in October 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Used to Be (Beach House song)</span> 2008 single by Beach House

"Used to Be" is a song by American dream pop band Beach House from their third studio album, Teen Dream. It was written by lead vocalist and keyboardist Victoria Legrand and guitarist Alex Scally and produced by them along with Chris Coady. The song was released on October 21, 2008 as the album's lead single and features a B-side of a different version of "Apple Orchard", a song which featured on their self-titled debut album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Two Weeks (Grizzly Bear song)</span> 2009 single by Grizzly Bear

"Two Weeks" is a song by the American indie rock band Grizzly Bear, and the first single from the band's third studio album, Veckatimest. Featuring backing vocals from Victoria Legrand, singer and organist for the dream pop duo Beach House, it was released as a single on June 1, 2009. The song's debut live performance was on the Late Show with David Letterman in July 2008.

<i>Teen Dream</i> 2010 studio album by Beach House

Teen Dream is the third studio album by American dream pop duo Beach House. It was released on January 26, 2010 as the band's debut album on the record label Sub Pop. Internationally, the album was released by Bella Union in Europe, Mistletone Records in Australia, and Arts & Crafts in Mexico. The album was produced by the band and Chris Coady.

<i>Bloom</i> (Beach House album) 2012 studio album by Beach House

Bloom is the fourth studio album by American dream pop duo Beach House. It was co-produced by the band and Chris Coady, and was released on May 15, 2012, by Sub Pop, in Europe by Bella Union, in Australia by Mistletone Records, and in Mexico by Arts & Crafts. The album was written over two years of touring and was recorded at Sonic Ranch in Tornillo, Texas, over seven weeks. Building on their previous album, Teen Dream (2010), the duo continued to add live drums to their song arrangements for Bloom, supplementing their drum machine rhythms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Total Control (band)</span> Australian post-punk band

Total Control is an Australian post-punk band that formed in Melbourne, Australia in 2008. The band's line-up includes Mikey Young, Dan Stewart (vocals), Al Montfort (guitar), Zephyr Pavey (bass), and James Vinciguerra (drums). After a series of singles, the band's debut album, Henge Beat, was released in August 2011. Their second album, Typical System, was released in June 2014.

<i>Depression Cherry</i> 2015 studio album by Beach House

Depression Cherry is the fifth studio album by the American dream pop duo Beach House. It was released on August 28, 2015, through Sub Pop in the United States, Bella Union in Europe, Mistletone Records in Australia, Hostess Entertainment in Japan and Arts & Crafts in Mexico. The album was co-produced by the group and Chris Coady, with recording taking place at Studio in the Country in Bogalusa, Louisiana, from November 2014 to January 2015.

<i>Thank Your Lucky Stars</i> (Beach House album) 2015 studio album by Beach House

Thank Your Lucky Stars is the sixth studio album by American dream pop duo Beach House. It was co-produced by the band and Chris Coady, and was released on October 15, 2015, by Sub Pop in North America, Bella Union in Europe, and Mistletone Records in Australia. The album was released less than two months after their fifth studio album, Depression Cherry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Myth (song)</span> 2012 single by Beach House

"Myth" is a song by American dream pop band Beach House. The song was released on March 26, 2012, as the lead single for the band's fourth studio album, Bloom. The song surfaced on the band's website on March 7, 2012, before its commercial release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zebra (Beach House song)</span> 2010 single by Beach House

"Zebra" is a song by American dream pop band Beach House from their third studio album, Teen Dream. It was written by lead vocalist and keyboardist Victoria Legrand and guitarist Alex Scally and produced by them along with Chris Coady. The song was released as the third single off the album on April 17, 2010, with an EP of the same name which features a UK radio edit of the song along with new tracks "The Arrangement", "Baby" and a remix of "10 Mile Stereo".

<i>B-Sides and Rarities</i> (Beach House album) 2017 compilation album by Beach House

B-Sides and Rarities is a compilation album by American dream pop band Beach House, released on June 30, 2017 through Sub Pop in North America, Bella Union in Europe, and Mistletone Records in Australia. The compilation contains B-sides and rare, unreleased cuts along with two new songs, "Chariot" and "Baseball Diamond". It also includes the band's cover of Queen's "Play the Game".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sparks (Beach House song)</span> 2015 single by Beach House

"Sparks" is a song by American dream pop band Beach House. The song was released on July 1, 2015, through Sub Pop, as the lead single for their fifth studio album Depression Cherry (2015). A visualizer for the song was uploaded on the band's YouTube channel on the same day.

<i>7</i> (Beach House album) 2018 studio album by Beach House

7 is the seventh studio album by American dream pop band Beach House, released on May 11, 2018, through Sub Pop and Bella Union. It follows the B-Sides and Rarities compilation album released in 2017, which served as a proverbial "cleaning out the closet" to pave the way for a new creative process.

<i>Once Twice Melody</i> 2022 studio album by Beach House

Once Twice Melody is the eighth studio album by the American dream pop duo Beach House. It was released on February 18, 2022, through Sub Pop, with its four chapters being released throughout four months starting November 10, 2021. A follow-up of their seventh studio album 7 (2018), they began recording the album in 2018 at their home studio, Apple Orchard Studio, in Baltimore, with additional recording taking place at Pachyderm Studio, United Studio and Village Recorders until July 2021.

References

  1. Phillips, Amy (17 November 2009). "New Beach House: "Norway"". Pitchfork Media . Retrieved 11 December 2009.
  2. Leitko, Aaron (November 19, 2009). "Beach House: "Norway"". Pitchfork . Retrieved September 22, 2024.
  3. "Beach House Chart History: Mexico Ingles Airplay". Billboard . Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  4. "Official Physical Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company . Retrieved September 25, 2022.