After confronting global corruption on 2016's
Wild World, it's only natural that the men of
Bastille would feel the need for escape that they express on
Doom Days. It's as necessary to take moments to just exist as it is to resist the world's injustices, and the band's third album follows a night out with friends and possible lovers, from singing along with the radio on the way to the party to waking up on the floor the next morning. However, their attempts to ignore the world around them on
Doom Days are even more relatable because they can't shut it out entirely. "We never knew what we had,"
Dan Smith sings on "Quarter Past Midnight," capturing the way it's possible to be nostalgic for a moment before it has passed. Though
Bastille's choruses are as rousing as ever, on this song and throughout the album there's a newfound intimacy to their music as they explore everyday loneliness and hope in a time of crisis. On the title track,
Smith recites a litany of 2010s disasters ("I'm livestreaming the final days of Rome" once again harks back to the band's smash hit "Pompeii"), but chooses to stay present instead of worrying about the latest bad news. Similarly, the celebratory pulse of "Nocturnal Creatures" reaffirms that good times shine all the brighter when people live in the constant shadow of something ominous. Thanks to its concept,
Doom Days is easily the group's most cohesive album yet, but as they tighten their focus, they also expand their sound. Alongside quintessentially heartfelt
Bastille songs like "Another Place" are tracks such as "4AM," which moves from a cozy acoustic singalong to brass and beats with the seamless flow of their mixtapes, and "Million Pieces," which sets
Doom Days' escapist heights to rhythms that evoke '90s garage. On "Joy," the band draws on the power of a gospel choir to give the album a happy ending that feels well-earned, even if it's only temporary. This need to seize the moment has been one of
Bastille's main messages since "Pompeii," and with
Doom Days, they prove they can deliver it in increasingly eloquent and relatable ways. ~ Heather Phares