Two Door Cinema Club, “Keep on Smiling.”

For its fifth album, Irish indie rock trio Two Door Cinema Club return to the formula that works. Keep on Smiling is chock-full of peppy melodic rockers swirling in lush guitar licks and slick arrangements. The band recorded during pandemic lockdowns as well as more hopeful times after the world began to open up again. The result is a sparkling and upbeat collection of hopeful songs.

Once the album hits its stride, it doesn’t let go, offering up track after track of indie rock delight. Following the swirling synths of the introductory “Messenger AD,” things truly kick in on opener “Blue Light.” It’s a danceable romp with singer-guitarist Alex Trimble hitting the sweet upper reaches of his falsetto on the smooth chorus. With its vast percussive bells and whistles, it cooks along with a ’70s dancehall feel.

The beat-forward “Everybody’s Cool” sounds a bit like INXS’ “Need You Tonight,” at least during the opening guitar riff. The song builds to an exuberant chorus that brings everything together in a slickly sweet harmony. Lyrically, the song is about rising above the constant push of negativity around to lead a positive state of mind.

“Taking in the view, everybody’s cool,” Trimble sings.

No song captures the band’s signature identity quite like the melodic “Lucky,” which lives through its punchy guitar and driving percussion.  The song dials in the band’s indie rock sensibility, propelled by an undeniable positive urgency.

Things turn a bit more experimental on “Little Piggy,” a fuzzed-out half-time dance anthem. Trimble’s vocal is more nuanced, almost bluesy at times, before reaching back up to his signature falsetto in the chorus. Like most of the album, it’s expertly delivered and oozes with infectious hooks that make it instantly memorable. Things even get delightfully weird on the spacey guitar solo.

The upbeat and bassy “Millionaire” offers an abundance of musical riches, and the pulsing beats and bright guitar playing adds to the expansive feel. Even mixing in some spoken word verses, the Two Door Cinema Club provides plenty of energy that marks the album’s halfway point.

Synth-heavy ballad “High” provides up the first opportunity to breathe. Trimble’s vocal sounds different than elsewhere on the album, jumping between clear verses and layered sounds on the chorus. Bassist Kevin Baird locks in the low end on the quiet and spacious song. The calm doesn’t last long, however, as the band ramps right back up for the bouncy “Wonderful Life,” which features some of Trimble’s best vocal work on Keep on Smiling.

The pace keeps up for dance rocker “Feeling Strange,” another highly percussive track filled with vocal harmonies. Maybe one of the most fun songs on the record is anthemic toe-tapper “Won’t Do Nothing,” which features some trippy and unusual vocal effects on Trimble’s voice. The album concludes with bridge interlude “Messenger” and swaying mid-tempo closer “Dissapearer.”

Follow writer Mike DeWald at Twitter.com/mike_dewald.