Two Door Cinema Club - Tourist History (Kitsune) 01/03/10

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That Two Door Cinema Club were long listed for the ‘BBC Sound Of 2010’ poll but failed to dent the top five matters little, after all, its not the winning that counts as Lady GaGa, deemed only worthy of last years sixth place will testify. What does count is whether or not their debut album ‘Tourist History’ lives up to the hype, column inches, praise and tastemaker expectation the ‘Sound Of’ association brings with it.

It was tastemaker foresight that signed the band to Parisian fashion house cum indie label Kitsuné affording the Northern Irish three-piece an enviable degree of autonomy of which shines through a ten track comfort zone of tight, light, spiky immediacy that revalidates rather than redefines the enduring confidence of indie-pop as one to be proud of.

Fuelling the anticipation surrounding the trio has been the bankable signature guitar, bass, synth and beats sound of singles ‘Something Good Can Work’ and ‘I Can Talk’, a one size fits all sound that rarely if at all changes throughout the albums thirty two minute duration.

This however is far from criticism; from the explosive restraint of ‘Cigarettes In The Theatre’ through to the sun-kissed ‘You’re Not Stubborn’, exuberant repetition is key to the success of the album, the deliciously repeated riffs and choruses of ‘Do You Want It All’ and ‘This Is The Life’ both sure-fire winners in the lead up to a long overdue summer.

Established, insatiable, complete and fully formed ‘Tourist History’ is an album with plenty of praise worthy points, the crux of which has already been reserved for indie club nights, the crossover appeal of ‘Undercover Martyn’ and ‘What You Know’ all but certain to be played to within an inch of their three minute lives across sticky dance floors up and down the country.

With Ellie Goulding in mind poll results, awards and the attention that premature praise creates can sadly overshadow substance. For Two Door Cinema Club, failure to make the ‘Sound Of’ shortlist is perhaps a good thing and their potential to reflect a disposable zeitgeist is far more of an interesting prospect.