Two Door Cinema Club - ‘Are We Ready? (Wreck)’

After a slight implosion and a silent few years in the ether, it’d be fair to assume Two Door Cinema Club might want to torch the rulebook. Second album ‘Beacon’ failed to light the way forward, itself often feeling like an echo of debut ‘Tourist History’. Most bands would kill for an opportunity to regroup like Two Door have had the last two years - a hands-off-the-reigns moment, primed to pack full of experimentation and evolution, ahead of a second shot at the throne whenever they were ready.

Instead, comeback single ‘Are We Ready? (Wreck)’ feels more like a who’s-who of the generation Two Door once fired up and led forward. The flexing basslines of Foals; the high-gloss pop polish of The 1975; the quivering vocal of Vampire Weekend - it’s all present and correct, Two Door taking up their place as grandfathers of the scene before those red locks have even shown a shred of grey. It’s perfect radio fodder, and to denounce a band for playing to their strengths would be trite, but the world’s not playing catch-up with Two Door Cinema Club anymore. Their influence has leap-frogged them, and it’s up to the rest of ‘Gameshow’ to prove they’re still worthy of the red carpet. Game on?