Beach House has crafted an album that intoxicates the senses.

On Feb. 26, Beach House, the talented guy-girl duo of multi-instrumentalist Alex Scally and vocalists/keyboard-wizard Victoria Legrand collaborate to produce a sophomore release of poignant elegance and continuity titled “Devotion,” (Carpark; 2008).

Hailing from Baltimore, Md., the indie duo formed in 2005. With the irresistible simplicity of their 2006 self-titled debut, Beach House has laid the ground work for a bright career of musical exploration.

Contrasted with the obvious distance of their self-titled release, which remained largely out of focus, “Devotion” presents an intimate 45 minutes of instrumentation and lyrical composition while maintaining a certain mysterious quality.

The brilliant and catchy album opener, “Wedding Bell,” defines the shape and tone of musical quality heard throughout “Devotion.”

“You Came To Me,” unfolds as a flower does, opening its pedals in a gesture of warm reception. The whimsical groove of “Gila” follows, meandering about in a euphoric setting.

On “Gila,” “Holy Dances” and “Heart of Chambers,” Scally’s playful, yet anchored guitar work rivals Rilo Kiley’s, lead guitarist of Blake Sennett, for catchiest guitar noodling to date.

Accomplished hooks are woven throughout “Turtle Island.” The ambient low created by song’s conclusion blends wonderfully with the lustrous and ambling, “All the Years.”

This album would not be complete without “Some Things Last A Long Time,” a marvelous rendition of a Daniel Johnston tune.

“Astronaut” has Legrand exploring her own take on the familiar sounds of psychedelic roots. Legrand’s timeless melodies embrace both “D.A.R.L.I.N.G.,” a modest tune sung to a deceased lover and “Home Again,” escorting the album into a comfortable existence.

“Devotion” is a delicious melding of lyrics that encounter love, loss and honest searching. As author of such lyrics, Legrand devotes herself wholeheartedly to the expression of every word with a hypnotic and alluring vocal performance, dripping with the confidence and power of a classical background.

Throughout the album, Alex Scally groups the dissected lo-fi sounds of an organ beat machine into rhythms steadier than a condor’s wing floating on a summer breeze.

The swell and decay of reverb on Alex Scally’s guitar, the rich and moody bearing of infectious melodies, the majestic whispers of a languid organ, and the remarkable simplicity contained within the core of this work are what make “Devotion” so appealing.

Beach House has crafted an album that intoxicates the senses.

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