Beacon

Two Door Cinema Club returned with Beacon after a couple of years touring in support of their debut album, Tourist History. While that set of songs was already pretty sleek thanks to the production skills of Eliot James, the band opted to polish things further with the help of Jacknife Lee, who has worked with R.E.M., U2, Snow Patrol, and plenty of other epic-sounding artists. With Lee's assistance, the band made Beacon a more sophisticated-sounding set of songs: witness the clever chord changes and harmonies on "Next Year," the more prominent electronics on "Wake Up," the intriguing percussion on "Pyramid," and the big brass swells on "Sun," which make the song a knowing nod to the band's '80s influences. Elsewhere, Two Door Cinema Club still have a remarkable knack for the kind of charming electro-guitar pop that made their debut so appealing, particularly on the bittersweet "Sleep Alone" and the pretty title track. ~ Heather Phares

2010年のファースト・アルバム『Tourist History』以降、大型フェスへの出演やレディ・ガガのリミックス仕事など活動の場を広げてきたアイルランドのドラムレス・トリオ。待望の2作目はジャックナイフ・リーを新たなパートナーに迎え、LAにある彼のスタジオでレコーディングを行った。打ち込みがリードする無機質なダンス・グルーヴや、ソリッドなギターというグループの持ち味を残しつつも、夜ごとヘンな夢にうなされる様子が歌われた“Sleep Alone”をはじめ、音の厚みとスケール感が格段にアップ。これまでの超快楽的なムードにミステリアスさも備わり、踊らせるだけじゃない、じっくり聴かせるバンドへと成長している。断言しよう、これはエレクトロ・ロックのマスターピースだ!
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