Only a couple of years ago, Two Door Cinema Club were not allowed to play after midnight because they were underage. Now all grown up, they’re releasing a new album into the wild, with the help of French label Kitsuné.
Beacon starts with “Next Year,” a perfect introduction combining a high-tempo beat and melancholic lyrics about coming back home: “I’ll be home for next year, darling.” The song also features incredible guitar riffs in-between Alex Trimble’s vocals. With some elements of electronic music (maybe a reminder of the computer they used as a drummer on their first album), “Next Year” is still a little repetitive and may tire you out after being overplayed. However, this song translates perfectly the mood of the sophomore album: a mix of bliss and melancholia.
The Two Door Cinema Club said themselves “we were a live band before we were a live studio act” in an interview with UK-based music magazine The Line Of Best Fit. Originally from Ireland, the band has been touring all over the world for the past months, and Two Door Cinema Club is missing their home, which you can sense throughout all the songs.
The album progresses with “Wake Up”, easily the song most reminiscent of the band’s first album. As with most songs on Beacon, this one alternates between slower bridges and a chorus with a higher-tempo rhythm. “Wake Up” has the trademark of the band: an alternative rock song that feels like pop that will have you dancing through the night.
“Sleep Alone”, the first single out of the album, follows the same construction. Pulsing drums and vocals take you on a rock journey that will have your head bobbing. The song, while enjoyable, doesn’t stand out particularly as one of Two Door Cinema Club’s best, or anything on the same level of the first album.
Finally, the album closes with the eponymous song “Beacon” which epitomizes the album perfectly. Vocalist Trimble tells us about how much he misses home, without even trying to hide his nostalgia. The lyrics, “The beacon is calling me” and “Swim ‘til you can stand,” paint a picture of the band swimming across the Atlantic to go back home. One of the most quiet songs of the album, “Beacon” ends the album as one would turn the last page of a book.
There is no denying that Beacon is an amazing release, but it leaves you yearning for something more. While the album will not surprise you, the live energy from the bands still shines through the songs. Nevertheless, the record misses something new, like a song that could discern itself as iconic.
