Empire Of The Sun’s “Alive”: Hear Their Synth-Driven Comeback Single

All our favorite dance acts are making a return, it seems: On the tails of Daft Punk‘s just-previewed “Get Lucky,” another high-drama synth-heavy duo have unveiled a new single — Australian glam-pop outfit Empire of the Sun, who made a big splash a few years ago with “Walking On a Dream” (most notably) and “We Are the People.” New single “Alive” is the first offering from their upcoming sophomore LP Ice On the Dune (because sure), and it’s pretty terrific.

Mercifully, their sound is intact, with the same lushly draped instrumentation driven by layers of icy synths and the same high, slightly dissonant vocals. But the beats come a little harder in this iteration, and the chorus is chantier than the gauzy swirls of their debut: The shouted refrain, “Loving every minute cause you make me feel so alive,” is more anthemic than ambient, even as it grows a little repetitive.  

But all things considered, “Alive” is a big surge of summer, cinematic and soaring. Throw it in a high-profile trailer or over the opening credits of an MTV show and it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see it get the same kind of traction that Icona Pop‘s “I Love It” has developed. It’s that good.

Listen below.

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