Set for release tomorrow, June 12, Irish band Kodaline return with new album, ‘One Day At A Time’, the follow up to 2018’s ‘The Politics Of Living’, and is out via AWAL.
The rock band from Dublin have come a long way from the song that everyone knows, ‘All I Want’ – but that’s not a bad thing. They’re older, wiser, and yet ‘One Day At A Time’ still has the melancholy that has characterised Kodaline’s sound thus far, with Steve Garrigan’s often heartbreaking vocals leading the way, as well as the group harmonies which resemble – albeit a much sweeter version – the stirring chants one might hear in the football terraces.
The ten track album is the band’s fourth, and takes them back to their roots in Dublin, with production by bassist Jason Boland. It’s a sleek, streamlined album, and sees the focus shone on the emotion of the songs.
Although ‘Saving Grace’ leaps out as highlights on the album, we’re instantly struck by the poignancy of ‘Say Something’, which opens with a tinkling instrumental, and is matched by Garrigan’s vocals, as he sings of a relationship on the brink; he’s down on his knees begging for the other to say something to him, and it breaks our heart. The storytelling nature of Kodaline’s lyrics make them deeply personal and relatable. ‘Spend It With You’, which comes in at track 6, feels like a love song, but it wouldn’t be a Kodaline song if there wasn’t a catch: its focus is on a couple who vow to stay together despite the world hurtling towards its apocalyptic doom.
Kodaline fans will lap this up, and we dare say many others who’ve not previously heard the group will enjoy ‘One Day At A Time’ as well. It’s a record by consummate musicians, and thoroughly enjoyable. Here is a band who aren’t afraid to show who and what they love, and they take one day at a time, and savour it. Sure there’s melancholy, but it’s an enjoyable sort – we can relate to it, we can soak it in, and share in the experience. Maybe Kodaline didn’t set out to teach their listeners a lesson, but there’s certainly one there to be learned.
‘One Day At A Time’, by Kodaline, is out tomorrow, June 12. Pre-order it here. You can find Kodaline online on their official website.
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