Acting as the
Coldplay to
Coldplay's
U2, the Dublin quartet
Kodaline specialize in the school boy sincerity of Chris Martin's crew. On their second album,
Coming Up for Air, they swap the quiet adventure of
Coldplay's albums with
Eno for an on-the-nose mawkishness that reaches a pinnacle on "Unclear," when their anthemic chorus is underscored by a children's choir. Not everything on
Coming Up for Air is slow -- "Unclear" is bookended by "Human Again" and "Lost," the two songs that have some fuzz and pulse -- but it feels as if this is as calm as a placid lake. Sometimes, the record is as pretty as that, too, a nice, polite collection of adult alternative pop designed for young girls and their moms -- music designed to disappear into the background of whatever public function you choose. [A Deluxe Edition added four bonus tracks.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine