Beach House @ Albert Hall, Manchester, 19 Oct

"Good evening!" Massive roar. "Happy Friday!" More of the same. Manchester commits from the off for this, Beach House’s largest show in the city to date. Victoria Legrand’s early introductions help secure a connection between the band and their audience that's maintained throughout the night. Attentive and appreciative, a bulging Albert Hall supplies impetus throughout a compelling 90 minute set.

In support of their recent album 7, Legrand and Alex Scally’s live show is elevated by drummer James Barone; the trio set about the Beach House back catalogue with guile and dexterity. Opener, Levitation from 2015’s Depression Cherry sets the tone, its slo-mo atmospherics a beguiling overture to a set that weaves older material into a showcase (fittingly, seven songs) for the new record. Lazuli, Dark Spring and PPP bring beats, and raise the volume and temperature in the sweltering hall. 

But it’s Walk in the Park, from 2010’s celebrated Teen Dream, that sees the band shift gear a half dozen songs in. 'More, you want more, you tell me,' breathes Legrand as a minimal and highly effective light show casts the musicians as performers in a monochrome shadowplay. Black Car follows; a recent high, it emerges stealthily, that delicate synth figure eventually entwining with the initial off-beat. A scorching 10 Mile Stereo completes a mid-set hat-trick that sets the tone for a riveting second half. 

How Beach House steer themselves and their adoring hardcore fans towards a heady climax is all about mind-boggling restraint. Every time you sense the roof raising just a little they pull back. Control freaks to the end – even the well-loved Space Song is introduced early on – they will not be drawn. As with their deep and developing repertoire, tonight’s show is fashioned entirely on their terms. As they close the main set with Drunk in LA and a euphoric Lemon Glow, for a moment you sense that they might just choose to break the spell. But no – Beach House, for all the fervour they engender, remain thrillingly, magically out of reach.