After a four-year hiatus, Two Door Cinema Club (2DCC) is back with their latest album, Gameshow. Fans of previous albums may already associate the band with classic alternative rock sounds – a special twist that gives chills to any listener. This time around, 2DCC has changed up their entire game, going from indie to 80s dance music. Here is a play-by-play of the album.

“Are We Ready?” (Wreck)
This first track is an ode to classic Two Door Cinema Club sounds. It’s snappy, upbeat, and very guitar-driven. Lyrically bold, this song expresses the problems with modern day materialism.
“Bad Decisions”
One of the most surprising tracks on the album, “Bad Decisions” is reminiscent of typical 80’s hits, complete with the falsetto singing. The lyrics continue the critique of today’s mindless, social media-driven information generation. Despite the serious message, this song is definitely one to disco to!
“Ordinary”
Similar to “Bad Decisions,” the catchy synth drives the song forward. The lyrics deal with topics such as escapism and fitting in. Although not awful, “Ordinary” is easily forgettable.
“Gameshow”
The amazing guitar is the best aspect of this anthem-like song. Unabashedly dark, this song is a commentary on the price that comes with trying to fit in. This title track has the most opinionated, and therefore most genuine, lyrics.
“Lavender”
Definitely a catchy song, but neither the voice nor the instruments holds enough weight to differentiate it from any other song on the radio. The lyrics hold promise of an almost meditative experience, but the execution does not do them justice.
“Fever”
The falsetto voice makes its reappearance in this third disco tune. At this point, the repetitiveness of the album sets in, and you start to miss the old 2DCC. It’s too preppy!
“Invincible”
A classic retrospective tract, “Invincible,” is the perfect mellow song to sing along to in the car. The chorus is especially strong, but the lyrics are by far the strongest in the first verse. The guitar work in this song echoes typical 2DCC magic.
“Good Morning”
This pump-up number provides great variety in tone, and the guitar is, as usual, amazing. “Good Morning” has one of the strongest lyrics on this album, with the first and second verse especially standing out.
“Surgery”
I didn’t mind this fourth, maybe fifth, occurrence of the falsetto voice because it seems to be balanced well by a normal tone. The pre-chorus and bridge are where the lyrics, vocals, and instruments are truly able to shine through.
“Je Viens De La”
Meaning “I come from there” in French, this song includes features of all the previous songs as a culmination of the album’s basic sound. Though catchy, it fails to impress enough to meet the standards of previous 2DCC songs.
“Gasoline”
PRAISE! We are back to the old 2DCC we all know and love! The vocals go well with the beautifully haunting lyrics, which hint at regrets and redemptions. This is my favorite song on the album because it doesn’t feel forced – all parts of the song come together perfectly and naturally.
“Sucker”
“Sucker” is a slower, more melancholy song. With strong vocals and a delicate balance of synthesizer and guitar, this song is definitely one of the strongest on the album.
As a fan of the band’s previous albums, especially Tourist History (check out “Cigarettes in the Theatre”), I was massively disappointed to see how much Two Door Cinema Club had strayed from their original sound. Gameshow not only lacks depth, but also tries too hard to appeal to everyone. As a result, the songs are repetitive to the point of irritation. One track, “Gasoline”, is exempt from this, though I still don’t think it matches up to any of its predecessors.
Yet, these songs are in no way bad. With unapologetic commentaries, the lyrics on this album have clearly matured. However, the standards for a band like Two Door Cinema Club are high, and unfortunately, their latest album fails to excite. For any of you looking for songs to give you chills or deeply affect you in some way, this album is not the one.