I have deleted three beginnings to this review because words fail me as to how this band continually surprises me. Their up tempo hooks and catchy choruses have continued to amaze me and Beacon is great follow up to their debut album from 2009.

Having toured for over two years on the same album fans have been clamoring for more. This album does a great job showing off the bands progression without taking away from the elements we came to love about TDCC.

The album starts up right away with “Next Year” which starts out sounding a little different from your run of the mill TDCC song but once Alex Trimble starts singing you know you’re in the right place.

The next few songs are great catchy tunes that grab your attention and remind us what is great about this band. They do a great job putting together songs that sound well constructed, fun, and have a very broad appeal.

My Wife once asked me how I would describe this band and I told her that I thought they were a poppy version of Vampire Weekend. After she listened to this album a few times she agreed. They have a great sound that is identifiable almost immediately. That’s not to say they are monotonous or their songs sound eerily similar but you can just tell when it’s a TDCC song. It’s a good thing in this case.

There are exceptions to this of course. Tracks like “Sun” and “Settle” have less of that fast paced guitar riff and aren’t so heavy on the drums but are still strong tracks on this album. They fit well with the rest of the album.

Some of my favorite tracks include “Pyramid” and “Someday.” Both are great tracks that grab you and force your feet to start tapping. The choruses and hooks are brilliantly pieced together without being too pretentious.

Bottom Line: Overall this was a great second album for a band that has been doing something a lot of bands work very hard to do, put out a memorable debut album that they can live off of for a couple of years. That just doesn’t happen anymore. These guys have captured lightning in a bottle and I cannot wait to hear what’s next.

Rating: 9/10