Beach House – “Dive”

Shawn Brackbill

Beach House – “Dive”

Shawn Brackbill

Last month, we got the magnificent “Lemon Glow,” and tonight Beach House have shared the second single from their forthcoming seventh album, “Dive.” (They previewed it on Facebook Live on Tuesday evening in advance of its official release in a now-deleted stream.) In much the same way that “Lemon Glow”‘s fractured psychedelia propelled that track to new heights, “Dive” pushes the band’s sound forward in exciting new ways.

It starts off familiarly enough, though, with a whining organ reminiscent of the chintzy instrumentation the band’s utilized since their earliest albums. (Happy belated birthday, Devotion.) But it feels like buildup from the start, as Victoria Legrand’s voice echoes back in itself in an alluring call-and-response, each word breathed with intention. “Oh, I know you like it/ So we try to hide it/ Oh, you know, I like it/ So I dive to find it,” she sings, lulling us into a sense of security.

The track snaps into crystallized focus two-and-a-half-minutes it, Legrand’s words giving way to a soaring guitar line from Alex Scally and stadium-worthy drums that feel dancier than pretty much anything Beach House have ever done. It’s a glorious escalation and a well-earned payoff — the tone is immaculate, just the right blend of messy and pristine. It’s like being forced out of a dream into a reality that’s somehow even brighter. Listen below.

“Dive” is out now via Sub Pop.

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