Skinty Fia gave Fontaines D.C. their first Irish and UK Number 1 album in 2022 and further elevated their status as a band to sit up and take notice of. And many people did. With this accomplishment tucked safely in their back pocket, they once more enter the collective musical consciousness with their fourth studio album, Romance, on their new record label, XL Recordings.
When following on from a successful album, it can be tempting for bands not to mess with a winning formula. If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. Fontaines, D.C., does not seem to subscribe to this attitude, thankfully. Don’t get me wrong, the core of Romance is unmistakably from the Irish five-piece. This is the foundation upon which the album builds, but we are treated to numerous new flourishes and sparkles.
There is no doubt that some of this is drawn from the band’s own musical influences, but I also feel employing James Ford as the album’s producer plays a significant part. Ford was a member of the bands Simian Mobile Disco and the Last Shadow Puppets and has produced for bands such as Arctic Monkeys, Blur, Depeche Mode, Florence and the Machine, Gorillaz, and the Pet Shop Boys. This knowledge and experience can be heard on Romance.
The album opens with an eerie industrial sound with plump, squelchy electronic noise. Welcome to the title track, everyone. Grian Chatten’s vocals creak and groan throughout the song as a crescendo of distorted sounds unsettle you in the closing stages. Maybe this is what romance is – an uneasy feeling that keeps you on your toes as the apocalypse comes rattling towards you head-on.
‘Starburster’, the album’s first single, doesn’t allow you any space to draw breath. Written by Chatten, inspired by a panic attack he had in St. Pancras Station in London, it thrusts you into a thick soup of anxiety. Chatten’s rat-a-tat delivery is punctuated with gasps for air as you feel sucked into his fear and disorientation. Tom Coll provides a thumping rhythm which ramps up the feeling of unease—one for your playlist.
With fuzzy guitars primed and let loose, ‘Here’s The Thing’ has a late 80s indie sound mixed with a smattering of Nirvana. “Shockin’ pretty is that face you’re makin’/Is there a sentiment you’d like to tell?/But if you tell them what the real story is/I’m afraid it wouldn’t play that well” croons Chatten as his voice soars high amongst the guitar riffs and backing vocals.
‘Desire’ slows the tempo a little, letting the filthy grunge sounds throb and pulsate. “To write songs that are sexier and sensual is new to me – I’ve never had the confidence,” says Chatten. This track demonstrates that he can tap into this part of his psyche. It is an excellent example of how, at the core, it is pure Fontaines D.C. but manifests itself both sonically and lyrically in a new and unexpected way.
It’s time for a big ballad next as strings and backing vocals swirl around each other like litter in the wind throughout ‘In The Modern World’. Coll’s heartbeat drumming supplements the hypnotic, dreamy feel of the track as Chatten proclaims, “In the modern world/I don’t feel anything/In the modern world/And I don’t feel bad”. The track’s production enhances Chatten’s visceral lyrics and creates a wide sonic landscape for you to roam around. A standout track indeed,
With an intro that reminds me of The Jam, ‘Bug’ examines the complexities of relationships and the lure of romance, along with its fragility and disposable nature. This sums up the theme of Romance. It doesn’t view the theme of romance as a linear, simple feeling or objective. As Chatten explains, “Romance can be a place you’re locked out of, that you’re confounded by. Maybe you don’t have the language to gain access. It could be something you’re hellbent on protecting, or an all-out surrender.”
With an intro that transports you directly to ‘A Day In The Life’ by The Beatles, ‘Motorcycle Boy’ has an unsettling feel. Musically, it has a nightmarish feel, especially when Chatten kicks in repeating the track’s title, which pokes at you like a dentist filling a damaged molar.
Remaining in an uncomfortable dreamscape, ‘Sundowner’ throws you off-kilter. Conor Curley makes his lead vocal debut here in an ode to friendship he co-wrote with Chatten. “A destination low /And I’d hate to see ye go /Now that I can feel it /It’s faster if I call”, asserts Curley, highlighting how we need to nurture relationships with friends and not take them for granted. Once lost, they are hard to rekindle.
‘Horseness Is The Whatness’ reminds me of Blur; this may be the James Ford influence. It also reminds me of The Frank & Walters, which is no bad thing. I think it is Chatten’s vocal delivery. And it’s a wee bit R.E.M. also. The title comes from James Joyce’s Ulysses, and the track slowly builds its layers. Strings float about until they become entangled in an industrial, almost nu-metal, resin as the track climaxes. Nice and gritty.
“You recognised the smell – Human pain/Said I’d learn to love the chain – it was/Shit shit shit”, Chatten delivers in his unique wobbly way, sounding like a warped record as the stylus lifts and falls. The closest thing I can compare it to is Stump’s vocalist, Mick Lynch. ‘Death Kink’ delves into relationships which are governed by a controlling partner and their unbalanced nature. The track utilizes time signature shifts to create further the disorienting sensation caused by Chatten’s delivery and lyrics. With a real grunge feel, this song is hard to leave behind, just like the relationship described within this 143-second belter.
One thing you notice when listening to Romance is that it is very lyric-heavy. There are no long instrumental breaks and no wandering guitar solos. Nothing embodies this approach more than the album’s closer. ‘Favourite’. A jangly, shoegaze-tinted, guitar-driven 316-word track, it takes me back to the 80s indie scene again. Yes, I am that old. This track reminds me of The Wedding Present’s calmer, less intense version. Chatten certainly has a passing resemblance to David Gedge in terms of his writing and vocal delivery. It also fondly reminds me of the early works of The Soup Dragons before they went all ‘Madchester scene’.
The track was originally a 12-verse epic, but Chatten asked his bandmates to edit it to something more manageable. I am intrigued by what this would have sounded like, to be honest. I’m partial to a blockbuster number! ‘Favourite’ is a fabulous end to the album and sends you away with a bounce in your step.
Bassist Conor Curley said of the album, “There was no breathing space between writing and recording. It flew quite close to the band having an aneurysm – and it needed that, really. Romance has the true madness of a late-night session.” You certainly feel this as the lush production, and often claustrophobic soundscapes wash over you, occasionally taking time to punch you in the guts.
It will be interesting to see if Romance attracts a new batch of acolytes for Fontaines D.C. Equally, how the existing fanbase will consider this album is intriguing. I think they will love it. It is a continued progression that has seen them deliver their most complete album to date. Like all good albums, some tracks will grab you by the throat on the first listen, and some will creep up on you, like the musical Jack the Ripper.
That is always a great balance to strike as the album continues to attract you into its bosom. You certainly won’t be sick of listening to Romance after a couple of plays. You will likely have to purchase a new copy as you’ve worn the first one out.
Be the first to comment