Cass McCombs has always come off as a chill dude who writes chill songs, but he also likes to move in mystery. In the three years since he released Tip Of The Sphere, his last album, McCombs has been on a collaborative tear, working with people like Tinariwen, Wynonna Judd, Steve Gunn, and Tomberlin. Right now, McCombs is gearing up for a short run of West Coast dates, and he’s just released a new solo single, his first in a while. But even though McCombs is putting out the new song “Belong To Heaven” under his own name, it’s also a bit of a collaboration.

Cass McCombs recorded three of his best albums with the great pop producer Ariel Rechtshaid, but the last of those albums, 2011’s Humor Risk, is now more than a decade old. On his new song “Belong To Heaven,” McCombs once again teams up with Rechtshaid, and the song also involves some other big names. Danielle Haim sings and plays drums on “Belong To Heaven,” and Brooklyn folk-rockers the Chapin Sisters also sing backup. The song also has Shahzad Ismaily on bass, Frank LoCastro on keyboards, and Frank Ocean collaborator Buddy Ross on Hammond organ.

“Belong To Heaven” is a sweet, fond, playful song about a friend who recently died. McCombs isn’t the type to get maudlin. The song is sharp and sparkly, and McCombs sings warmly about past experiences: “I remember you on the street at night/ All glitter and chainmail, but no time to fight/ A grease fire burning bright/ Now you belong to heaven.” Below, listen to “Belong To Heaven” and check out McCombs’ tour dates.

TOUR DATES:
5/21 – Guadalajara, Mexico @ Corona Capital Festival Guadalajara
6/14 – Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room
6/15 – San Diego, CA @ Casbah
6/17 – Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room
6/18 – San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel
6/19 – Cayucos, CA @ Schooner’s

“Belong To Heaven” is out now on Anti-. Ordinarily, you’d expect a standalone single like this to foreshadow an album announcement, and you can’t really count on that kind of thing with Cass McCombs.