The fourth album from Two Door Cinema Club sees the band adopting a kitchier, more tightly produced image. Complete with funky riffs and vocoders, False Alarm is the exact album we expected from the band in 2019.
The album opener “Once” is upbeat with the feel-good vibes we have come to expect from the group. The subsequent track “Talk,” however, is a little more experimental and takes a slightly funkier turn.
Following in the footsteps of Arctic Monkeys’ Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino, Two Door Cinema Club have dipped into technology and pulled out a handful of experimental and futuristic sounds. That said, they do not overdo it with vocoders and synths, but subtly experiment with new sounds to create something different to their previous albums.
“Satisfaction Guaranteed,” which features Mokoomba, opens with what sounds like the intro to an ’80s video game. “So Many People” somehow manages to be even more ’80s with predictable cadences and funky riffs.
The middle of the album subsequently sounds like an indie disco pulled back in time rather than forward. We’re not complaining though, the Prince nostalgia merged with 2010’s indie rock is exactly what we want to be dancing to on an innocent sunny afternoon. It’s just nothing groundbreaking.
“Satellite” is an album highlight and is accompanied with a corny sci-fi parody video. It’s like the musical version of Black Mirror’s “USS Callister,” and Alex Trimble even provides David Bowie-esque vocals at the start. As the track goes on, however, the vocals speed up and things get more hyperactive. It all sounds a little more Hot Chip than Two Door Cinema Club only it really works. This is the direction that we hope the band continues to head in.
Album closer “Already Gone” has major Tame Impala vibes and also reveals that Trimble has been hiding a secret falsetto. “Thinkin’ it’s a damn shame to let it go / I want to feel your love / And it’s such a damn shame to let it go,” he sings, followed by the echoes of the crushing words “already gone.”
Overall, Two Door Cinema Club’s latest album is the indie record we expected, complete with a handful of funky and experimental twists. The only complaint we have is that they didn’t go bolder and experiment further.
3.5/5
