On “Raging,” their 2016 collaboration with Norwegian DJ/producer Kygo, Kodaline traced a line of kinship between their impassioned arena rock and the stirring swells, peaks, and drops of dance music. That connection gets stronger on Politics of Living, an album that surrounds big choruses with digital rhythms, glimmering piano riffs, and synths. These sonic experiments have invigorated the Irish quartet without sacrificing their emotional power: They conjure irresistible optimism on “Head Held High,” pay tribute to a teenage fan who passed away after their 2016 gig at Dublin’s Marlay Park (“Angel”), and consider joy and sorrow through the bottom of a pint glass on “Temple Bar.”
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- Tom Odell
- James Bay
- Lewis Capaldi