“Romance” is Fontaines DC’s most ambitious album. They say so and I confirm it too.
Ambitious and above all mature, diverse and perhaps also their most accessible album.
Its 11 tracks are a stratification of the flow of ideas and intuitions matured by the band in these two years. The less territorial and Irish album that crosses and tells the idea of romanticism of the formation.
We've always had this sense of idealism and romanticism.
Each album moves further away from looking at this through the lens of Ireland: “Dogrel” was direct, the second album “A Hero’s Death” is about this detachment, while the third “Skinty Fia” is about Irishness in the diaspora. Now let’s try to figure out where and what else there is to be romantic about.”
A vision of love when catastrophe comes, the end of the world. An almost spiritual tale of this extreme narrative of romance.
Even from a sonical point of view, the band evolves and creates a particular and unique range of indie-pop rich in sound streaks that go from nu-metal, to hip hop up to lush orchestrations.
The creative movement forged by Fontaines starts with the title track which almost seems like a funeral march and frames the idea and essence of the entire album.
Maybe romance is a place,” Chatten sings seductively: “For me/And for you
A shoegaze aesthetic pervades some tracks (Motorcycle Boyes Sundowner), then there are the dystopian and tentacled synths that almost give a wave sensation. while, in other moments (Horseness Is The Whatness) seems to descend into the dark darkness with the guitars and the opulent string arrangements that, mixed with the beating pulses, could have come out of both Korn and The Cure and are grafted onto the quotes of the band's inspirational prophet James Joyce
Chatten reigns supreme as vibrant as ever with his raw voice. From his nervous breathing and soulful singing of starburst, switches to urgent falsetto and seductive sighs of Here's The Thing. His voice instead becomes tearful in Desirewhile in DeathKink she goes from drugged to menacing as she unrolls the lyrics.
The album closes with the jangle-pop of favourite, the perfect light closure of this fourth seal.
Perhaps it is not my favorite of the band's albums. I preferred the post-punk, the unscrupulousness and the instinctiveness oozing with the smell of beer and pubs of the debut “Dogrel” but without a doubt this “Romance” is the most evolved, dreamlike and complete album.
The sign of a point of arrival that places Fontaines DC in the Olympus of quality indie without losing their dark and unpredictable vision of the world.
Without a doubt the best album (so far) of this 2024! An energetic blow in this alienating and torrid August.
MUST LISTEN NOW
Romance – Here's The Thing – Horseness Is The Whatness
MUST SKIPP NOW
You don't make me want to skip anything at all… on the contrary!
SCORE: 8,50
Romance – Rating 8.50
Starburster – Score 8.50
Here's The Thing – Rating 8.50
Desire – Vote 8.00
In The Modern World – Rating 8.00
Bug – Score 7.50
Motorcycle Boy – Score 7.50
Sundowner – Score 8.00
Horseness Is The Whatness – Rating 8.00
Death Kink – Vote 8.00
Favourite – Score 8.00
THE VOTES OF OTHERS
Nme: Vote 10
The Guardian: Vote 10
Spin: Rating 9.10
Uncut: Rating 8.00
Mojo: Rating 8.00
Pitchfork: Score 7.70
