Two years is far too long for any sane human to go without new Fontaines D.C. material. Frontman Grian Chatten graced us with a solo album last year which was well-received and is a brilliant piece of solo work, but it has left fans clamouring for more.
But fear not! ‘Starburster’ is here, the leading single from their upcoming album ‘Romance’ has arrived, but what does it teach us about what the Irish contingency has been up to, and what does it mean for the future of possibly the most influential guitar band in the last four years?
One thing that makes Fontaines D.C. topical is that they put out pumping tunes and make people want to go and see them, but what also keeps them so relevant is their personal journey as a band. Boxed in and restricted are two things that are far from synonymous with the exciting “post-punkers”.
It’s been an absolute joy to be on the journey from the raw and high-energy debut that was ‘Dogrel’, all the way to the psychedelic and noise pop-infused third album that was ‘Skinty Fia’. This very progression was risky, but worked, why? Because they stayed true to themselves and went in the direction that they as a group were inspired to. It worked so well in fact that their budding hype manifested into accolades and nominations, including winning best international act at the 2023 Brit Awards.
This level of success combined with the band deciding to take their first big break from touring are variables to make for an almost unpredictable future, but make no mistake, the steps they now take will define their future.
The song itself is as high quality as we’d come to expect from them, the thumping drum beat paired with Grian’s haunting backing vocals are all elements we are familiar with from previous works on ‘Skinty Fia’. The lead vocals feel to many, very hip hop-esque, it’s key in portraying the almost desperateness in the message (also aided by the unignorable gasps). This leading to the ethereal bridge that is emphasised by its contrast to the rest of the song has led to it going down so well amongst fans.
Where it gets fascinating is their live debut of the track on The Tonight Show. One thing is immediately apparent to the viewer from this, it’s a new era.
At first glance they could be described as looking like they’ve covered themselves head to toe in glue and run through a thrift store. It’s an image of pure chaos, in fact, they wouldn’t look out of place on the Woodstock 99 bill!
This infusion of rap/hip hop influence surely has to play a huge part in their future, we always knew they were going to pivot, and it looks like this is the driving influence on the five-piece. Maybe we’ll see more of them moving completely away from guitars as guitarist Connor Curley has alluded to in certain interviews.
Who knows what this fourth album will look like? Success can do strange things to a band, some relish it, whilst others feel a need to prove their ever-present creativity and freshness. One thing we do know is no influence is too broad for these lads, they soak up what’s around them and what they are exposed to, and so far have implemented it into their own work innovatively.
One thing is for certain however, it won’t be like anything we’ve heard before.
