“Doom Days” Delivers the Hope we all Need

Written by Ravyn Cavanaugh

Edited by Kaylee Ainsworth

Graphic by Rebekah Witt

         Bastille brought us their third studio album, Doom Days, in the middle of June. Unlike their previous albums, Doom Days is a concept album which brings us through someone’s journey while out one night. You’ve all probably had one of those nights where you’re out with your friends and end up drunk in the back of a cab, sitting there thinking as your driver takes you to your next stop. Well, that’s where the first song on Bastille’s album starts us off; “Quarter Past Midnight” is sure to bring you back to that back seat and make you feel nostalgic, whether that be for good or for bad.

         The song sets the tone for how you want the night to go — everyone is excited and things are going to be good. However, what’s a night out without a few mistakes? This is where the second song on the record, “Bad Decisions,” comes into play. It discusses the haunting decisions that we make.

         Now, of course, what’s a Bastille album without a little bit of politics hidden (or not so hidden) within the lines? The band tried to hide political marks within the songs, making them less obvious than some of their previous work. However, for anyone educated on the things going on in today’s day of age, it would be easy to spot the messages Bastille wrote into their songs, like in “Doom Days” where a line is “we fucked this house up like the planet.”

         The album consists of a few slow songs, like “4am,” which is more so a love song than anything else. It showcases the bond between two friends, which a lot of listeners are probably familiar with. The album also touches on hookup culture with “Another Place,” really hitting all the spots on a typical night out in your 20’s.

         With doom comes hope, and in “Those Nights,” we start to get a feel for that. Pushing all of those bad feelings aside, the song is about finding yourself and doing what makes you happy. What happens when you learn to push past that all? Well, you get “Joy.” This is the final song on the album, tying the concept together as a whole. It expresses that even when things are bad, they can get better if we come together.

         Now whether that be political or just an every day generalization is one for the listener to decide. All in all, Bastille really knows how to tell a story (or two).