Dork
  • Music News
    • Latest News
    • Album Release Schedule
  • Features
    • Features & Interviews
    • Artist Guides
    • In Photos
  • New Music
    • Hype
    • Hype News
    • Hype Features & Interviews
    • Hype Reviews
  • Playlists
    • Playlists
    • Dork Playlist
    • The Cut
    • Hype
      • Cover Story
      • Hype Playlist
  • Reviews
    • Album & EP Reviews
    • Live Reviews
  • Radio
    • Home
    • Shows
      • Down With Boring
    • Playlist
    • Listen Again
    • Podcast
      • Apple Podcasts
      • Spotify
      • Google Podcasts
      • Stitcher
      • aCast
      • TuneIn
  • Magazine
    • Latest Issue
    • Back Issues
    • Print Subscriptions
    • Print + Digital Subscriptions
  • Shop
  • Supporters
    • Support Dork
    • Supporter Only Content
    • Digital Library
HTML5 RADIO PLAYER PLUGIN WITH REAL VISUALIZER powered by Sodah Webdesign Dexheim
Dork
  • Music News
    • Latest News
    • Album Release Schedule
  • Features
    • Features & Interviews
    • Artist Guides
    • In Photos
  • New Music
    • Hype
    • Hype News
    • Hype Features & Interviews
    • Hype Reviews
  • Playlists
    • Playlists
    • Dork Playlist
    • The Cut
    • Hype
      • Cover Story
      • Hype Playlist
  • Reviews
    • Album & EP Reviews
    • Live Reviews
  • Radio
    • Home
    • Shows
      • Down With Boring
    • Playlist
    • Listen Again
    • Podcast
      • Apple Podcasts
      • Spotify
      • Google Podcasts
      • Stitcher
      • aCast
      • TuneIn
  • Magazine
    • Latest Issue
    • Back Issues
    • Print Subscriptions
    • Print + Digital Subscriptions
  • Shop
  • Supporters
    • Support Dork
    • Supporter Only Content
    • Digital Library
  • Album & EP Reviews

Two Door Cinema Club – Keep On Smiling

  • Finlay Holden
  • August 31, 2022

Label: LOWER THIRD [PIAS]
Released: 2nd September 2022


Having grown from the spiky indie-rock of ‘Tourist History’ into the vibrant world of ‘False Alarm’ over the span of the last decade, Irish trio Two Door Cinema Club take their first steps into the 2020s with a bold new record that sustains the appeal of their journey to date but focuses momentum on the future.

Despite choosing to introduce this project with lead single ‘Wonderful Life’, the most obvious nod to their youthful style recounting a bittersweet dream to recapture that pure happiness, ‘Keep On Smiling’ actually opens with an alluring retro instrumental that announces the dawn of new ambitions for the group. ‘Blue Light’ raises the stakes of the charged alt-pop-rock that undeniably provides the stylistic foundations for the record, but ‘Everybody’s Cool’ cements the desire for a loose experience, practically fizzing with excitement.

Nonchalantly bringing barrelling energy to even the moodier of moments, Alex and co. bring together pop, rock, jazz and classical sounds to replenish their ever-growing pool of bangers, and fans from every stage of their career will find corners to lean into; glimpses of eras past exhibit the core vigour behind the long-standing indie giants.

It is the creative risks buried within that hold the most promise, though; the deep dance beats of ‘Millionaire’ and distorted vocals of the irresistibly groovy ‘Won’t Do Nothing’ exemplify distinctive and transformative progression for the band amongst the comfortability of their relentless sonic imprint. Fortunately, that lived-in tone is far from sounding tired as smooth vocal melodies, and bouncy riffs continue to enthral, and scattered instances of intimacy pierce through rich, heavily-produced soundscapes.

Two Door Cinema Club should have faith in their own experimentation – ‘Keep On Smiling’ is a simmering album of sun-drenched tunes sure to brighten many a summer day.

Finlay Holden
3.0 rating
3/5
Total Score
Related Topics
  • Two Door Cinema Club
You May Also Like
View Post
  • Music News

Ben Howard has announced a huge 2023 UK and European tour

  • March 20, 2023
View Post
  • Music News

Somerset House Summer Series announce 2023 line up, including Beabadoobee and Olivia Dean

  • March 21, 2023
View Post
  • Music News

Sabrina Carpenter, Lana Del Rey, VLURE and more – this is what’s fresh on the Dork Radio playlist this week

  • March 20, 2023
Latest issue
Latest
    • Music News
    Body Type have dropped their new single ‘Holding On’ – listen
    • Music News
    Hannah Jadagu shares new single ‘Warning Sign’ – listen
    • Music News
    The National have shared their new track ‘Eucalyptus’
    • Music News
    Bastille have announced a new London show to celebrate 10 years of debut album ‘Bad Blood’
    • Music News
    Let’s Eat Grandma have released a new Nick Drake cover, ‘From The Morning’

Subscribe to our newsletter

Get pop nonsense to your inbox.

Dork
  • Contact
  • Jobs
  • Privacy
© 2016-2021 The Bunker Publishing Ltd

Input your search keywords and press Enter.