Most of these 11 songs contain a killer hook, such as the one that transforms High Hopes from wobbly-lipped ballad to hair-tearing tearjerker.

[...] All told, there's a lot of bodice-ripping emotion to take in, and it's this, rather than the lack of original ideas, that makes In a Perfect World hard to take in large doses.

"[4] Ally Carnwath of The Observer gave the album 2 stars out of 5, and felt "That for all their stadium uplift and notionally anthemic choruses, they never deliver a hook or melodic sucker punch that really floors you.

"[9] Lauren Murphy of The Irish Times gave a similar review, saying "Kodaline are a bit drab...It sounds like [they] are more focused on ticking boxes in order to appeal to their target audience, than on blazing their own trail by attempting something original.

"[10] Bevis Man from DIY gave a negative review, saying "Let’s be frank here, what this band needs is a punch in the face and to grow some balls.