Two Door Cinema Club – Keep On Smiling
While Two Door Cinema Club's latest offering, Keep On Smiling, moves the Northern Irish trio's sound forward, it isn't a game changer
Whilst their records have always had an element of dance-pop to them, with Keep On Smiling, Two Door Cinema have delivered an album that moves their sound forward. It's closer to a more disco and funk-infused approach than anything they've released before, without straying too far from what they’re known for. Seasoned fans of the Northern Irish trio will listen to and hear the high energy and poppy riffs that make up their sound.
Lead single Wonderful Life is one of Keep On Smiling's strongest tracks, benefiting from its simplicity; its careful build-up and catchy lyrics will surely see it slot comfortably in among the band's older songs in future live set lists. Everybody’s Cool has the typical upbeat tempo that the band is known for, and Lucky, driven by lead singer Alex Trimble’s unique tenor vocals, would not be at all out of place among the jangly guitars of their debut album, 2010'sTourist History. In fact, it's remarkable how much the 32-year-old Trimble still sounds like his teenage self at times.
The album, for all its merits, might disappoint those hoping the band had made something more experimental. It's an evolution of a style they began to hone with 2016’s Gameshow, and evolved in their next record, 2019’s False Alarm. If you already enjoy the band's sound, whether in fervent adoration or in a passing fondness, Keep On Smiling won’t turn you off. It might not be a game changer, but if you already like the game, that's not a problem.
Listen to: Everybody's Cool, Lucky, Feeling Strange