Having exploded onto the indie music scene back in 2010 with their electrifying debut album, Tourist History, Two Door Cinema Club are certainly not strangers when it comes to being in the limelight, and with the upcoming release of their new album, 'Beacon', it seems they'll be enjoying the attention for a bit longer... The Northern Irish trio recently outed their heavily anticipated single, 'Sleep Alone', on BBC Radio One to hoards of excited listeners after seemingly endless speculation. The band sparked a frenzy amongst fans on their official Twitter account by tweeting back in April this year, 'Lots of people asking about the new album. It's almost done! We're working on the 10th track at the moment. 2 more weeks and it'll be done!' Whilst it may seem an agonisingly long wait for fans, September is just around the corner and 'Sleep Alone' has certainly wet their appetite with widely positive reviews, giving us an insight into what the quirky indie rock ensemble has to offer with their next musical venture...
Whilst the song doesn't stray far from the band's signature upbeat electro-infused sound, Two Door Cinema Club certainly make it clear with this song that they aren't afraid to explore new musical directions, demonstrated by the light and uplifting feel to the song, combined with the familiar atmospheric guitar riffs and effortless underlying drum beat. This is heightened at the beginning of the track with the momentum-building drum intro, which acts as the perfect prelude to lead singer, Alex Trimble's, pure, smooth and enlivening vocals. The guitar riff gives the song a light and airy feel, reminiscent of some of the band's earlier tracks, such as 2010's 'Undercover Martyn' and 'Cigarettes In The Theatre'. Whilst the band haven't digressed too far from their distinctive sound and identity, I think this track adopts more of an introspective, thought-provoking feel with subtle electronic undertones which really bring to life the idealistic quality that Two Door Cinema Club's music evokes.
With regards to the inspiration behind the track, Trimble revealed that the song was heavily influenced by strange dreams he had been having whilst smoking cannabis when returning from their tour to help him sleep, something he had been having trouble with due to the hectic lifestyle he has now adopted thanks to the band's rapid rise to fame. 'I have a terrible time sleeping when I get off tour,' he explained. 'It's horrible. So I was smoking a little bit every night before I went to bed and it was really influencing what happened when I was asleep.'
'I ended up having these really crazy dreams. I started reading about dreams and got really interested in lucid dreaming when you have full control over your dreams - you realise you're dreaming, but within your dream it also feels like the real world. There's a little of that in the song, but I never achieved it.'
The main thing that lets the song down in my opinion is that it is slightly tentative. Whilst it's a bright and uplifting track that makes for great summer listening, somehow it lacks the punch and conviction of some of their earlier tracks. That being said, I still feel the track offers an incredibly promising insight into what the new album has to offer and showcases the raw talent that catapulted this band into the public eye in the first place. 'Sleep Alone' has definitely caused a stir in the music industry and it's not hard to see why; the track is a clear reminder of the unique sound that has been so vital to the band's success, yet it also offers an inside look at how the band have developed and branched out in terms of the way they have experimented with a variety of new directions that will ensure they remain a staple part of the British indie music scene for years to come. Although it may not set the music world on fire, Trimble, Halliday and Baird have succeeded in kicking off their new musical pursuit with style and solidity: 'Sleep Alone' definitely shows promise of more exciting things to come!
Sleep Alone - Two Door Cinema Club
Two Door Cinema Club - Beacon
Released: 3rd September 2012 (UK) 4th September 2012 (US)
Beacon - Album Trailer
No comments:
Post a Comment