The album reached number one on the Irish Albums Chart, becoming Kodaline's third number one album, and number 15 on the UK Albums Chart.
"It was almost there and we came out after the studio and we weren't entirely happy with it, we felt like we could do better. It's our third album so we didn't want to release just anything, we wanted to take our time on it.
"So we went back into the studio and spent the first four months of this year working on the album, writing new songs and working with different people."
The album is a brilliant mix of new sounds and old comforts, fantastic arrangements, impressive musical talent and incredible production.
Kodaline has always been a band that has had me deeply conflicted. A curious sonic hybrid of American rock fused with British pop, the Irish group has struggled to chart its own uninhibited territory. Victims of their own success, their second album, Coming Up for Air, was almost entirely swallowed up by overproduction compared to their fresh and promising first, In a Perfect World.
The opening track, 'Follow Your Fire', is immediately atmospheric, hitting more genres in the first two minutes than their previous two albums. Singer Steve Garrigan told Official Charts that the album was a challenge to write: "It was kind of go big or go home on this album. My comfort zone as a songwriter is in ballads and slow, emotional songs. It's what I love and what comes naturally to me."
If you're a fan of what brought the band to the table in the first place, namely songs like "High Hopes" and "All I Want," the new change of direction may be a bit off-putting. Songs like "I Wouldn't Be" and "Temple Bar" strip back the production, however, and function as a way to not only appease old fans, but also show that behind all the bells and whistles attached to this album there is genuine talent in the group.
On this album, Kodaline goes straight to pop with classic 2010s beat drops that are very safe and not exactly the craziest or most euphoric, but there are highlights. Brother's melody can be quite generic, the heartfelt lyrics definitely elevate the track. I also really liked the choice of I Wouldn't Be being acapella for the first half. Add a moment in the tracklist that feels very unique and is a standout moment.
On Politics of Living, Kodaline joins Steve Mac, who co-wrote Shape Of You with Ed Sheeran, Johnny Coffer, who has worked with Rag'N'Bone Man and Beyoncé, and long-time collaborator Johnny McDaid
"We scrapped the original sessions, but there are some tracks that have become an 11-song album," May said.
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