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Entertainment WeeklyOct 10, 2012The sleek album from the Irish trio tempers its galloping pop gait with frontman Alex Trimble's Ben Gibbard-y confessionals. [7 Sep 2012, p.75]
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Oct 10, 2012Fans that loved Tourist History, prepare your mp3 player; this will be your favorite album. But if you haven't already fallen for TDCC's dance-ready, bright-voiced Irishmen, you won't find love here.
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Oct 30, 2012There are times when all you need is a stompy bass drum to underpin a killer melody, and that's exactly what makes Beacon tick; nothing's overworked or overcomplicated.
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Oct 25, 2012[Beacon] is the mark of a band who know their sound, have a newfound confidence, and are well-equipped to do some serious damage to the chart this time around.
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Alternative PressOct 10, 2012Thankfully, there's enough variation in tempo, nuance and arrangements to stave off monotony. [Oct 2012, p.92]
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Oct 9, 2012Musically, they've come on. Kevin Baird's bass work – always a highlight – is finally showcased to full effect on the 'Rip It Up'-style swagger of 'Wake Up' and the jagged riffing of 'Sun', while 'Pyramid' features some seriously impressive guitar noodles.
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Oct 25, 2012Where the album ultimately succeeds is in its song-craft, with everything from its diversity and song structures clearly improving, without significantly forsaking the trio's effortlessly catchy and engaging melodies.
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Oct 30, 2012Trimble's contention that Beacon "takes us one step closer to the band we've dreamed of becoming" suggests a work in progress.
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Oct 30, 2012Hard to fault but not the progress we hoped for.
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Oct 25, 2012A fun, punchy batch of 11 crisp tracks.
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Under The RadarOct 10, 2012There's nothing that will truly stick with you for the long haul, but sometimes a nice tune and some supercharged instrumentation are enough. [Aug/Sep 2012, p.115]
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Oct 10, 2012There's nothing overtly bad about Beacon; it shows that Two Door Cinema Club still have a remarkable knack for winsome melodies and harmonies set to kinetic beats. It just doesn't have the spark that Tourist History had, even if it's a more accomplished album overall.
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Q MagazineOct 10, 2012It's taut, slick and more transatlantic than its predecessor but they lose some of the quirks that gave their debut much of its charm. [Oct 2012, p.112]
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Oct 30, 2012With only one true standout track, a handful of fillers, and little innovation or progress, it reeks of diminishing returns from start to finish.
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Oct 30, 2012Sun aside, Beacon is prosaic and frenetic, its tireless synths and fidgety guitars unable to camouflage the group's dearth of ideas.
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MojoOct 10, 2012When the title track and Handshake attempt stylistic detours they are swiftly re-routed with a familiar chorus or chord progression, symbolising the "play it safe" mentality of the whole album. [Oct 2012, p.90]
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Oct 9, 2012The album hits a few highs; "The World Is Watching" enchants with swirling synth lines and intoxicating guest vocals from Valentina. The lows leave one wondering what could have been if Two Door Cinema Club had challenged themselves a bit more.
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Oct 30, 2012Mostly everything is contrived and cliché, lifted from a stock collection of guitar rock and electro rock of the past ten years.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 42 out of 56
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Mixed: 11 out of 56
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Negative: 3 out of 56
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Jan 9, 2013
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Aug 13, 2021Another great album by the band. Two Door Cinema Club really owns their sound, and it pays off in amazing tracks like "Next Year" and "Sun"
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Jun 27, 2019