Gameshow
Artist: Two Door Cinema Club
Album: Gameshow
Release Date: October 14, 2016
Recommended For:
Sunny road trips and backyard barbeques.
Nighttime city drives and dives.
Pretty much anything involving a car.
Pros:
Guitar like no other.
Unapologetic 80’s pop vibes.
They’re baaaaack!
Cons:
Somewhat repetitive progressions.
A bit too much reliance on the synths.
Photo by: Kmeron
Veritably dripping in iconic falsetto and synth unique to their sound, Two Door Cinema Club makes their debut back on to the indie pop scene with full-length Gameshow after a quiet four years after the release of Beacon.
Back in 2012, I was not the happiest camper when I first heard the lead single, Sleep Alone, off TDCC’s sophomore album. I wanted a twist and alteration of Tourist History, something unexpected and exceptionally experimental. What I got was a domesticated, almost lackluster attempt at producing a record that basically says, “Oh, look at us! We’re stable, happy, and upbeat!”
Perhaps I just have excessively high expectations for Trimble and his band of Irish hooligans. Tourist History was a large part of the soundtrack of my earliest high school days, so you could say that I’ve got some sentimental ties to the band. I was a fan of their work then, a critic now. That being said, Gameshow’s release and track list is exactly what I’d hoped it would be and more.
I’m a sucker for lyrical self-awareness, and this album most certainly delivers. From ballad-esque Invincible to Sucker’s eerie vibes, Gameshow proves that after their hiatus, Two Door is far from finished in developing their songwriting and how they approach their music. If Tourist History was the trio’s high school angst phase, Gameshow is the tail end of their college years where the group is rounding the corner into adulthood.
And boy, oh boy, am I excited for what they come up with after graduation.
Favorite track: Invincible
8.4/10
Check out Two Door's website to purchase this album or purchase any of their fantastic music, as well as find tour info and other band essentials.
