Fontaines D.C., Dogrel - album review
Every now and then a debut record comes along that makes you sit up and remember why you became a music lover in the first place.
That feeling of utter bliss as your heart opens up to the sounds of a song you really connect to. It can be the music, it can be what they're saying. It doesn't matter. Falling in love with a band is a beautiful thing.
Fontaines D.C. are one of these quick-rise groups everyone has been crooning about for the past 12 months. They've only been together three years, and the fast progression to this high-quality first release has been incredible.
The Blinders were good last year, Shame were better still. But neither can touch this.
Front and centre and key to all this is the voice of Grian Chatten. He will never be the best crooner, but he works the music to his advantage and gives an endearing and honest performance as the focal point for this Dublin five-piece.
He is ably guided by the rest of Fontaines D.C. who take elements of the big guitar bands of the early 00s indie scene, throw in some authentic Joy Division-esque grizzly undercurrents and believe in extended, engrossing instrumentals rather than showy solos.
The mix is a gem. From the opening refrains of their single Big you know something special is happening. This jagged little guitar slam is one of the album's heavier moments and its short, sharp conclusion shows their ability to finish while still ahead and leaving you wanting more.
There's frustration and screams in Too Real. The Rakes would have been well at home with this thumping bass and this is one of their numbers that builds to a beautifully manic final refrain.
This is echoed in Hurricane Laughter. A really off-kilter song that slaps you from all sides, its jarred vocals and segments make it an intriguing and utterly gripping track. Wait for those wailing guitars to kick in.
READ MORE: Fontaines D.C. to play Birmingham
Our favourite track here is the mercurially beautiful Television Screens. This is where those lo-fi Joy Division frills emerge through the understated guitar work dancing along behind Chatten's best Roddy Woomble impersonation. It's a fantastic song.
Elsewhere, the care-free nature to Boys In The Better Land is another hit with its free-flowing and fun-filled melodies. Chequeless Reckless also puts our nerves at a jitter with its deep, booming sound, and Dublin City Sky is a lovely way to wind down at the end of the record with its chilled persona.
Keep your ear out for these guys. They are going to be huge.
Rating: 9/10
Fontaines D.C. will be at Birmingham's O2 Institute on November 25.
