As the year comes to an end, blogs and various publications are releasing their top 50, top 20, top 10 albums of the year. On every list that I have come across, Beach House’s Teen Dream has always made the cut. Since I did not have the album yet, I figured if it was consistently named a great album that I needed to check it out for myself ASAP. I listened to the entire album yesterday and found myself in agreement.

Earlier this year, I was obsessed with their single “Norway” and ended up listening to the track every single day for what seemed like two months straight. I figured if I loved one single out of an entire album that much, then that album must be good. Teen Dream is an indie album that provides easy listening for a wide variety of audiences. Despite what some may say about indie music being borderline emo or too slow, Beach House has done quite the opposite. I love the constant slow-beat of the drum, the persistent yet steady beats, and the dynamic and powerful build-ups. Having never listened to any of their previous albums, they managed to make a fantastic first impression. I’ve also found this album to be perfect for the winter.

Lesson learned: Always trust the top album lists.