CD of The Week

Two Door Cinema Club - Gameshow (Glassnote)

Irish rockers Two Door Cinema Club have brought the beat with their latest record, Gameshow. The album opens with the lead single, 'Are We Ready? (Wreck),' which sets the tone for what to expect. It offers a healthy mix of prominent synth, uplifting melodies, thumping bass, and an unending beat that makes it virtually impossible to sit still while it plays.

Gameshow finds its inspiration from a time when the band was physically and mentally drained from the rigors of touring, and the lifestyle that took them into a downward spiral. 'Bad Decisions' opens with lyrics that reflect the period. 'Save me, I've been drinking wine, and I just made a big mistake. It happens all the time,' Alex Trimble sings. The song serves as a cry for help from a man who unwillingly became the cliché, drug-riddled rock star. The theme continues in later track 'Good Morning,' where Trimble cries, 'I'm a sinner, I'm the victim, I'm an alien when I'm myself. I'm a healer, I'm a fixer, I'm a present danger to my health.'

Other standout tracks include 'Gasoline,' 'Ordinary,' and title track 'Gameshow,' in which the most driving bassline of the record leads into a chorus full of crunching synth and an unforgettable melody.

The most striking piece of the album is the infusion of indie rock with EDM, almost a callback to the disco era. Trimble claims his biggest influences were Prince and David Bowie, but with songs like 'Je Viens De La' it could be transplanted to the 1970s with a place on the soundtrack for Saturday Night Fever, but it still does 2016 justice.

Hear the new Two Door tunes in person when the band headlines The Fillmore on November 19th.
Review by Dan Baker