Two Door Cinema Club’s new release spreads joy and positivity

Northern Irish band Two Door Cinema Club formed in 2007 whilst the members were at secondary school together, releasing a debut album under this name only 3 years later. 

Since then, the trio have released hit after hit, and their new album is no different. ‘Keep On Smiling’ was released on the 2^nd of September and consists of 12 songs, all of which are engaging, well-constructed and take listeners to a place of pure joy. Listeners have been incredibly excited for the new music to become public, and have not been let down.

The album begins with the song ‘Messenger AD (intro)’ begins with a slow tempo, gently increasing in volume and pace as it moves along. The introduction of different instruments gives a sense of anticipation, a build-up to something far greater than it first seemed. Sudden dips and highs in the piece provide listeners with an understanding that consistency and uniformity rarely make for a good sound, and instead the unpredictability of it is where the beauty originates. 

The following tracks are slightly different and less instrumental than the introduction. ‘Blue Light’ has a much more upbeat, happy-sounding vibe to it, and sounds perfect for a party playlist. Following on from this, ‘Everybody’s Cool’ sounds just as the title says, cool! The lyrics “Here’s something new, everybody’s cool” can be heard amongst “what can you do? Everybody’s cool” as a way to encourage positivity in a society spread through their music; in the time of struggle that humanity lives in today, it’s refreshing to hear such happy and pleasant music that seems to restore some faith into humankind. 

The sixth track ‘Millionaire’ begins with a spoken word section performed under a musical introduction, adding mystery and wonder to the track. The words “Suppose if you wanted to be a millionaire, how would you go about it? What’s the best way?” play until a sudden drop occurs once the music begins playing to almost its full extent. This allows the band’s alternative and indie vibe to come through in the song, whilst they discuss the never-ending search for satisfaction people of younger generations desperately partake in. Instant gratification is almost not enough these days, and gluttony is indulged in far too much. The beat of the record is steady but any changes are drastic and sudden, much like in life itself. The track seeps into the next two wonderfully; it ends on an almost silent note as ‘High’ begins at a very slow tempo. This is a beautiful shift in the vibe for the album and the single strum of the guitar adds a melancholy sound to support this. Its abrupt end seems fitting as the lively and loud sounds of ‘Wonderful Life’ begin. This next one listeners feel captures the heart of how difficult life can be and how the fact that it is so limited and short makes it that much more beautiful. The final choral lyrics of “So don’t stay mad for long/ Or it's a lonely little life, lonely little lifetime” urges fans to embrace life and forget grudges or disagreements, love one another and life becomes that much more wonderful. 

Now well into the second half of the collection, the last two creations are adored. The first of them, ‘Messenger HD’ sounds fantastical, almost like ‘Alice in Wonderland’, with violin-like sounds as the core of the piece, followed by a steady pitch which sounds almost unsettling. The volume increases as the song reaches its peak, with the base instruments and vocal sounds continuing to the end. As the shortest one of the album, its unique style is a marvellous approach to songwriting, showcasing the band’s ability to think outside of the box and giving their fans the joy that they are not just like any other band, but are firmly their selves and proud of it. The final song of the release is named ‘Disappearer’ and begins with harsh drums that stop suddenly and give way to a guitar riff that then merges both instruments. The vocals in this piece are almost robotic and mechanical. The tail end of the song is incredibly full on, with overwhelming vocals and instruments and sound effects that allow listeners the pleasure of feeling overcome by the music. It transports those people into a world of their own, side by side with the band and forever willing to investigate their music further. 

Overall, the band have done an amazing job on this new album, finding harmony between their well-known indie vibe and the new wave of music . 

Abby Price

@axprice75

Image: Two Door Cinema Club ‘Keep On Smiling’ Official Album Cover