A new Bastille album is certainly reason to celebrate, especially when the album is this good.The gents sound is evolving and their unique brand of pop is becoming more and more infectious.
With all the music the band has released, it seems strange that this is considered only their second studio album, all their great mixtapes don't count. So for a sophomore album, this is incredibly accomplished and has the confidence of a group that has been recording for many albums.
By anyone's definition, this album is grand. It has an epic feel, and while it may be in the genre of pop, it takes the genre to very end of its limits. It's a bit rock, it's a bit EDM, a bit indie and all wholly original.
Dan Smith has one of the most unique voices in music today, both literally and figuratively. His voice hits me deep in my soul, there is such passion and yearning, as well as such great control. And his songwriting skills are brilliant, his lyrics are poetic and personal and lift my spirit. He is everything a good band needs in a front man.
There's a lot of songs on this album, and each one has a special place. The album feels like you need to listen to it from start to finish, an epic journey - a piece of theatre. Linked by dialogue from old films, the drama is evident through the album.
The brilliant, "Send Them Off" begins with the lyrics, "I've got demons running around my head", and it's apparent how true this lyric is, and listening to the whole album, it is more and more obvious it drives the band. First single, "Good Grief" is still as brilliant as when it was released, and new single, "Fake It" has the classic Bastille sounds and is the right type of addictive. "Two Evils" is also a stand out, simple and powerful; and "Four Walls (The Ballad of Perry Smith)" is hauntingly beautiful.
I know this is an album that is going to mean more to me the more I listen to it. It's almost overwhelming in its greatness. I look forward to becoming more intimate with these little pieces of art. It is brilliantly produced and one helluva an album from one of the world's most fascinating bands.
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