Beach House have never been afraid to let a song simmer for a while. You can count on one hand the number of tracks they’ve released that are shorter than three minutes long. Did this make lead singer Victoria Legrand and guitarist Alex Scally ideal candidates to shoot for a double album? For those who prefer the Beach House that slowly builds, flourishes, and climaxes on “Irene,” “On the Sea,” “Space Song,” or “PPP,” Once Twice Melody is a chance to find out.

Double albums are a lot to take on, both for musicians and for listeners. Many standard-length records are crushed under the weight of their ambition during production, or they make no sense by the time they reach completion. On the other hand, there are also the double-disc masterpieces that feel complete and transcendent: the White Album, Bitches Brew, Sign ‘O’ the Times, Tusk, among others. The potential risk for Once Twice Melody’s 18 songs spread over 84 minutes was high, but so was the potential reward.

Like past Beach House projects, Once Twice Melody is pristinely recorded dream pop that aligns shoegaze, ambient experimentation, and reverent nods to rock ‘n’ roll’s avant-garde. The magic kicks off with the title track, awash in shimmering synths and familiar looping guitar welcoming Legrand’s opening couplet, “Out in the summer sun / she was the only one.” With mixing by Alan Moulder (My Bloody Valentine, Nine Inch Nails) and live strings arranged by David Campbell (Beck, Air), the impact of every transition and each rich blend of instruments is maximized. (Although some of drummer James Barone’s work was recorded at Pachyderm Studio in Cannon Falls, Minnesota, sessions also took place in Los Angeles and primarily in Baltimore over the past three years.)

The outcome? Song after song with the power to transport you, quicken your pulse, and enhance your state of mind. How, exactly? In “Superstar,” hooks slowly layer together, rising and retreating, building anticipation for that auditory instant when the light hits the disco ball just right and the whole room is engulfed. With its manicured lyrics and expansive production, “Over and Over” pits light vs. shadow, life vs. death, and the present moment vs. eternity. It’s an epic swing that stands out among an entire double album of them.

Beach House’s eighth full-length release is an altogether dramatic, luxurious listen. Each song centers Legrand’s voice and words painting a different classic scene from the most fantastic movies you can imagine. Popcorn would not be inappropriate.

The album’s scope is so generous, in fact, that the conclusive “Finale” has four more songs sequenced after it. At last, “Modern Love Stories” caps Once Twice Melody with a cinematic curtain call. Like an immense ELO or Pink Floyd moment, it’s tricked out orchestrally and emotionally, and hits a satisfying coda punctuated with one of Scally’s signature slide guitar solos.

Although the project was fully released in February, this journey with Once Twice Melody actually began with a four-song chapter arriving in November. Subsequent installments came in December and January. By putting out four or five songs at a time, Beach House forced us to get to know the work a little bit at a time before a full binge listen was possible.

Today, that anticipation hasn’t died. This album is both a trip down an audiophile’s rabbit hole and a panoramic pan across an endless thematic sunset that you won’t soon forget. It’s easy, and quite rewarding, to get lost in Once Twice Melody.