When I first heard Fontaines D.C‘s second album, A Hero's Death, what hit me was lead vocalist Grian Chatten’s deep, crisp and strong Irish delivery, and the poetic nature of his lyrics. He has an easily identifiable voice and an uncanny way of painting a picture with words. And as a whole, the band’s music has always been exciting and eclectic. On the group’s latest record, Romance, everything I’ve come to enjoy about Fontaines D.C is still going strong, but their sound has also evolved – it’s fuzzier, grittier and yet brighter. There are still guitar-driven songs, lyrics that conjure up cinematic scenes and Chatten’s iconic Irish delivery. But Romance, with the addition of synth strings, ’90s trip-hop beats and a new neon aesthetic (across the album art and the band’s look) is different from its predecessors, and points Fontaines D.C in a new, and more lamenting, direction.
Plenty of bands have had mid-career shifts in sound (Radiohead with Kid A, The Beatles with Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band). Fontaines D.C. don’t go that far with this album, but it's a clear departure from the last two albums’ post-punk sound. This offering traverses Brit pop territory, intersecting somewhere around classic glam rock ala T. Rex and early David Bowie. The album’s lead single “Starburster” has Chatten almost rapping the verses, then as response, the band crafts a menacing version of The Verve’s “Bittersweet Symphony” through him. It works – it packs a punch, and we’re playing it in heavy rotation right now on Studio One – it’s that good.
“Here’s the Thing” brings the album’s most intense guitar work, with so much fuzz it would make The Melvins jealous. Each track on the record feels like a unique character unto itself, and “Here’s the Thing” has dark undertones that I can only describe as being reminiscent of Patrick Bateman from American Psycho.
“In The Modern World” is a dreamy mid-album track, finding Chatten coming to terms with fame and the stressors of — you guessed it — the modern world. Soaring strings and intense vocal deliveries make this an album highlight. Images of James Dean walking down the Boulevard of Broken Dreams floated through my mind while listening to this song.
The record clocks in at a tight 37 minutes, and when the last note of “Favourite” played, I was ready to start the whole journey over again. “Favourite” might be the most uplifting the band gets on the record, and the fact that “Romance” starts the record dark and this song ends the record with melancholy happiness is well-played sequencing on the part of the group. It also made me feel like the band is happy with where they're at and where they're headed.
Fontaines D.C. has always had a dark edge to their music. It’s part of what makes them great. Romance morphs them into something more colorful and accessible to new fans. Like the best acts before them, Fontaines D.C. is evolving musically and aesthetically, and this album proves that.
Must Listens – "Starburster," "In The Modern World," "Desire," "Favourite"
