Five years in the making, "Dive!" is the long-awaited follow-up to Bing Futch's 2007 release "Dulcimer Rock." It's a shape-shifting battle between light and dark, tripping merrily through a variety of musical styles as it tackles subjects both light and heavy. Using an approach that he calls "short-attention-span-theater", Bing's songs veer sharply between styles depending on the theme of each tune. Whether it be the full-on rock and roll of the title track, embracing a dive into the murky waters of unfinished business, or the slow country waltz of "Drinkin' Out Loud", with its wailing pedal steel guitars and wistful, beer-soaked lyrics. With a reputation as an upbeat, positive and happy-go-lucky songwriter/performer, "Dive!" takes a turn into darker territory as Futch wrestles with demons both young and old. Here, the subject matter is close to the heart; family matters, loss, deception, alienation, betrayal, religion all get explored, though it sounds much more heavy than it actually is. Songs like "I Keep My Distance" may deal with the very real neglectful attitudes of its singer, but it all comes cloaked in a dance-beat heavy and whimsical package that calls to mind the work of Peter Gabriel. Futch's "Speechless", a spirited call for forgiveness, is a pop-rock powerhouse that moves both the soul and the body while "Don't You" is a straight out-and-out dance club techno groover filled with dazzling synths and mind-bending lyrics. No two songs are the same on the album, which also strips down to the naked truth with two songs written for Futch's late mother and father. Accompanied by only piano and recorded live, all the cards are on the table as the veins open up and bleed music. Recorded over a period of five years as a form of self-therapy, "Dive!" comes off like a quick flip through satellite radio, styles and emotions clashing and weaving together to create a living tapestry of pure heart and soul. Futch's characteristic tenor is displayed in its full range, from guttural lows to full-on, screaming highs and thick, choral harmonies as heard in the unusually rocking tragedy that is "Nine One One." Lest you think the record is a total bummer, there is plenty of room for hope in this universe as the album touches upon, and engages, the stuff that holds us together; love. From the gothic grunge of "Rust" to the truthfully romantic ballad "How It Ends", an entire gamut of feelings is explored in this release, once again showing the diverse talent and fearless execution of Bing Futch.