'The whole world wasn't completely open at this point, and I guess we weren't under serious pressure to do a record from anyone,' bassist Kevin Baird tells Apple Music.

Constraining in so many ways, lockdown did at least offer the band the chance to work without some of the anxieties of deadlines and schedules. That spirit is partly a product of the times, with many of the songs written during the early months of 2021. 'Everybody's Cool is four minutes of glimmering disco escapism, and the striding funk of 'Blue Light celebrates hard-won freedom and change. Recalling early singles 'Something Good Can Work' and 'What You Know with its hurtling riffs and ebullient bounce, 'Wonderful Life' carries an indelible chorus that counsels letting go of anger. The Bangor trio continues to find fresh ways to decorate a light base of indie guitar pop with strands of funk, electro, and disco. It's an upbeat mood enhanced by plenty of the music here. Heralded by lead single 'Wonderful Life' their fifth album is called Keep On Smiling, and its artwork features a vibrantly lustrated beachside scene. Ostensibly, the sun is shining on Two Door Cinema Club.

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