THE TYPE OF MUSIC WE NEED RIGHT NOW: 'DOOM DAYS' BY BASTILLE REVIEW

Bastille have finally released their third studio album in the form of Doom Days. Bastille tends to have a great ability to evolve their music without losing the sound they began within their first album Bad Blood back in 2013, and this trend has continued into Doom Days.

Doom Days is introduced by the lead single from the album, 'Quarter Past Midnight'. Straight off the bat, it's clear to see that Bastille are continuing their journey into more dance-poppy music; a journey which has been going on for some time. This track really does set the tone for the rest of the album, which generally follows with a similar upbeat sound. It also shows off lead vocalist Dan Smith's incredibly distinctive and impressive vocals, which Bastille are most well known for. It's a track that is danceable enough to do well on the radio but also has a little bit of that edgier Bastille sound that we're used to.

The general tone of the album does seem to be upbeat, however, there are a couple tracks in the form of 'Divide' and '4AM' that are a little more solemn and ballad-like. However, this being said, 'Diver' does end up being a little more cheerful towards the end of the track. It seems like Bastille are well and truly done with being pessimistic and mellow and entering a new era of happy and poppy music, and personally, I'm not mad about it. As someone who, to much surprise, has been in a club in the past couple years, I know how much DJs and the radio love to play a good Bastille remix. (The establishment I regularly went to over the first couple years of uni had a particular love for the Don Diablo remix of 'Good Grief'). So, then, it makes sense for Bastille to skip the middle man and create music that will be played in situations like this and they get the full credit for it. Songs like A Million Pieces are a perfect example of this coming in to place, as it's definitely the type of track you could hear in a packed bar as well as on the radio on the drive home from work. They know how to create a public-loving hit, and this album is FULL of them.

Bastille have done well to find a balance between this new dance-esque sound and still remaining honest to their melodramatic Bad Blood roots. There is no point during this album where you hear a song and wonder who it's by. Bastille have a sound, helped along by previously mentioned Dan Smith's vocals, but they have perfected the ability to warp this sound slightly in different ways whilst still being recognizably them.

The album closes out with 'Joy', the most upbeat a wholesome song on the entire album, and that just about sum sit all up. There is something to be said philosophically about the fact an album named Doom Days has an overall good and happy feel to it.  This concept of happiness in the face of horror is very reflective of society's general opinion towards the awfulness of the world right now. It's a very millennial point of view to laugh at all the terrible things happening in the world and the fact that the future is looking bleak, not because you think it's funny but because otherwise you'll cry, and Doom Days the album definitely gives off this certain vibe. When you think about it this way, the contrasting title and sound make complete sense.

Overall, Doom Days is a success. It's fun, it's enjoyable to listen to and its very obviously Bastille, and what more could you want from an album? Although there is some depth to hit, it's not heavy and brooding like their first albums, and maybe that is slightly missed here. As previously said, Bastille knows the formula to make a good song, and a popular one at that (eg; 'Pompeii' and 'Good Grief' from previous albums) and they've used this formula to make an optimistic album in the face of a world that is pretty damn sad right now. This kind of album is just what we need, and I'm certain that Bastille knew this when creating it.

RATING: 4/5.

Ruby Crowhurst.