Album Review, Two Door Cinema Club, Gameshow

Around the middle of 2014, rumours were rife that Two Door Cinema Club were about to shut up shop. After spending six long years slogging their guts out on the road, it appeared that the wheels had come off for the industrious trio. While their brace of albums saw the Bangor bunch become one of the biggest indie acts that Ireland has ever produced, their ambition – in a familiar narrative – resulted in them sacrificing their youth, their friendship and, eventually, their sanity.

What followed was two years of inactivity. During that period they went their separate ways, as they dealt with life away from the pressure cooker of touring. In the resulting vacuum, other acts like The 1975 and Bastille emerged to take Two Door’s throne. If the gossips were to be believed, the band hated each other, and their enjoyable if inessential 2014 EP, Changing Of The Seasons, would be their final release.

Then came a short video teaser last June entitled “Two Door Cinema Club”, which signalled that – in the words of another Irish music legend – the boys were back in town. However, many wondered if the three-piece were merely going through the motions, with some even suggesting that their reign was over. Their bizarre/brilliant (delete as appropriate) decision to tour as their own tribute act (Tudor Cinema Club) for a smattering of warm-up shows certainly didn’t help matters.

However, the band’s third album, Gameshow, will silence all the doubters. The record commences with a serious statement of intent, with the thundering opener, ‘Are We Ready? (Wreck)’, showcasing the band at their very best. Bulging with hooks, layered synths, reggae-informed guitars and a refrain sung by a group of school kids, the song – which rails against consumerism and social media – sounds wonderfully assured.

Taking inspiration from Bowie and Prince, the record wisely dispenses with the safer sounds of Beacon, and sees Alex Trimble, Kev Baird and Sam Halliday rebuilding Two Door Cinema Club from the ground up. What emerges is a genre-straddling opus that bristles with bravery and invention. There is much to love on Gameshow. The ’80s MOR flavoured ‘Ordinary’ is a joy thanks to some tasty, squealing guitar licks; the funk and neo soul-minded ‘Lavender’ is a fun fusion of old school Prince and Hot Chip; and the catchy ‘Bad Decisions’ calls to mind Prefab Sprout in their pomp.

However, the title track is the ace. Driven by dirty bass, cracked vocals and sharp guitars and synths, the past few years of trouble and strife pour out of Trimble in one of his finest, most emotional vocals. “I don’t know what to wear/I can’t go on with it”, he says, while tellingly referencing Pinocchio.

There are some wobbles – the ballad ‘Invincible’ drifts a little too much into X Factor “save song” territory – but overall Gameshow defiantly answers the critics. It’s a blockbuster that will put Two Door Cinema Club back at the top – where they belong.