More about: Bastille

Indie-pop group Bastille’s third studio album Doom Days journeys through a long night spent looking for distraction, ending in a “glimmer of hope.”

Opening with ‘Quarter Past Midnight’, warmth and familiarity linger on the first notes. From the very beginning, production flawlessly blends instrumentals, each song moving flawlessly from one to another – from the lyrically strong ‘Bad Decisions’ to the breezy and catchy ‘The Waves’, to piano-led ‘Divide.'

‘The Waves’ becomes an early stand-out with it’s clear vocals and warm instrumentals. Inventive and genre-hopping, a feeling of desperation makes itself known in its tone within the first half of the album, even as the soundscape gives off an up-tempo feel. 

But the tone shifts as the upbeat tracks ‘Million Pieces’ and ‘Another Place’ bring a rave-like euphoria to the so-far sombre production. Matching up to and complimenting these up-tempo tracks, come the acoustic stylings of title track ‘Doom Days’ and ‘Those Nights’.

The party-going mood continues across tracks that represent the stretch of a long night; a night that begins its welcome descent into daybreak with ‘Doom Days’, celebrates the thrill of human connection and also cleverly deals with the torment of Brexit.

Highlights come in the form of the haunting and trance-inducing ‘4AM’ and energetic final track ‘Joy’, that makes use of a gospel choir. The most upbeat of 11 tracks - that celebrates the joy of a new day, washing away the exhaustion of life – forms the perfect end.

The only disappointment is ‘Nocturnal Creatures’ which fails to make use of both Bastille’s usual lyrical genius and delivers a forgettable and monotonous instrumental.

Nostalgic, melancholic, worrisome and finally joyful, Doom Days is a production that urges you to consider the failings of today's world while still leaving you with optimism and enthusiasm for a better tomorrow.

Doom Days is out now via Virgin EMI. 

More about: Bastille