Kodaline – Coming Up for Air

Kodaline’s 2013 debut, In A Perfect World, had enough crowd-pleasing, romantic sing-alongs to launch a cruise liner, and the band won themselves legions of fans who were swept up in the catchy hooks and memorable lyrics. Their sophomore effort, Coming Up for Air, sees the Irish quartet churn out an evolved version of their debut. It’s not an album full of bold statements, and whilst it’s not quite the old sound repackaged with a new sticker, it follows the same intrinsic formula.

Opener and lead single Honest is knee-deep in familiar Kodaline territory, the theme of a scorned lover singing about the troubles that he’s faced with, caused by someone who’s let him down again. This seems to be the cyclical message of Kodaline: don’t trust love, because it’s doomed to fail. This message is proclaimed loudly in the debut’s hits, All I Want and Love Like This.

The album envelops its listener poignantly, as the band strives for a sound less reminiscent of the operatic U2, and more of a lighthearted Coldplay. This experimentation provides a resounding atmosphere in the new material.

Human Again is a welcome burst of alternative pop, conjuring shades of Take That in a infectious sing-along chorus that could rival The Killers. Coming Alive’s boppy, party-clad nature is a celebration of youthful desire.

Lost invokes present-day Muse with its central use of Steve Garrigan’s vocals and serene lyrics, amidst the explosions of musical joy that rope through the album, the Irish band encourage their listeners to live life to the fullest.

This is a band who work towards what their audience crave; the album hits home deeply with its core fan-base. The One – written for and performed at a friend’s wedding – may prove to be a rival to All I Want as their most heart-wrenching ballad.

Coming Up for Air sees the Dublin quartet branching out with their sound – albeit never fully swaying from familiar territory –  as they continue to wear the crown of Ireland’s resident ballad-kings.

Loughlan Campbell

Coming Up for Air was released on 9^th February 2015, for further information or to order the album visit here.

Watch the video for The One here: