Album Review: 'Doom Days' by Bastille

If you are a fan of alternative music, you've probably heard of the band, Bastille. Their 2013 hit, "Pompeii" rocked radios for a bit, and the band has been releasing music ever since in the form of three studio albums, four mixtapes titled Other People's Heartache 1 to 4, and two non-album collaborations, one being the instant 2018 hit "Happier" with Marshmello.

If any of this means anything to you and you find yourself saying, "Hey, this band is pretty okay. I like them, Cody. What should I do now?"

Well, don't you stress yourself out, disembodied voice. I wholeheartedly believe that this quartet is for you.

Bastille's Doom Days follows a night of partying and finding someone you want to finish out the night with, whether that literally means the night or finding someone for the long-term. It is one of those rare albums not meant to be listened on shuffle, but rather straight through, as it tells quite a good story (especially if you're one of those that have the weekend-night-going-out-to-the-bars-and-getting-plastered situations).

The Good

Dan Smith's vocals are powerful across all of the songs. While that may seem like a cop out of a response, it is quite true. He does have a solid vocal range, which has always come out in some capacity in every song Bastille has written. That being said, his vocals are specifically exceptional in in the final song of the album, "Joy," which follows the conclusion of the evening but contact with that one person who really gets you.

And don't worry, if you're a returning fan of Bastille, the familiar sounds from previous albums are not gone. "Wild World" had quite an electronic feel to it, similar to where pop/hit music is turning to. "Bad Blood" carried quite dramatic choruses, which is inescapable since Dan Smith is writing all of the music again (I always have a soft spot for artists that write their own music). You can find homage to these great albums across the album, especially in songs such as "Quarter Past Midnight", "Those Nights", and "Bad Decisions."

For those who maybe didn't listen to Bastille's previous work outside of the famous radio singles, there is still opportunity for you to dive into this album as well. Are you a fan of Bastille and Marshmello's hit single "Happier"? Well, "Million Pieces" is a really good follow up to the break-up-because-you-deserve-better vibe. Definitely recommend checking it out—along with their entire music library, but who am I to tell you what to do with your music subscription service.

The Bad

While this is a very smart, story-esque album, I would argue it is similar to a lot of Bastille's previous work. You have the hard-hitting beats in choruses, stripped in the bridge... yadda yadda. It isn't necessarily the worst thing to have consistent content— definitely don't want a country album out of this great band—but there is the same sound reverbing across their library to me, and this could be seen as more of the same.

Overall, I would say this is a strong contender for Bastille's best album. While I believe "Wild World" has more hits in my mind, Doom Days truly is a piece of art, as it keeps you engaged for 40 minutes with a true story format... which many artists fail to achieve.

Best Song: "Joy"

About the Author

I started with Vocal right when they started, but I've taken a seven month hiatus trying to figure out grad school. I previously was an English major and wrote for my university newspaper as an editor for features and a contributor in opinion and arts and entertainment. I am currently in a graduate program for college student affairs and just trying to make life happen through weird odds and ends.

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