Fontaines D.C. brings a rare sense of tonal versatility in their latest album, “Romance.” Beginning with a song of the same name, an eerie melody strikes the listener. The following tracks switch from down to Earth to eagerly energetic, ending with the hopeful “Favourite.”
Each of the 11 songs has a unique trait that sets it apart from the other tracks. While these elements are present in multitudes within the songs themselves, the differences in each tune are clear from the minute you press play. If you skip through the album, only listening to the first few seconds of each song, you will hear that every snippet has an instrumental intro completely different in sound.
“Romance” begins with a guitar line that intrigues the listener enough by itself but then introduces a staccato line that sounds like it’s being played on an out-of-tune child’s piano, almost a cross between “Bella’s Lullaby” from “Twilight” and the haunting “Blood Theme” from “Dexter.”
The title of the album “Romance” may suggest the album is about love and relationships. While it does cover these themes, it focuses more on the yearning and pain involved in these relationships, “So beautiful to hurt so well.” It highlights the navigation of the compatibility between two people, both dealing with their own lives, emotions and personal turmoil.
Lyrically, “Romance” is impressive but certainly not straightforward. To give an accurate lyrical analysis you would either have to pour over Genius for hours on end or talk to the Irish post-punk band yourself. The metaphors and creative language used entice the listener to either come up with their own interpretation or forgo the meaning entirely and solely focus on the addictive melodies and vocals.
It is hard to pick a favorite track from the release because they all have something to offer. Even the songs that seem more mundane on first listen, like “In The Modern World,” quickly worm their way in, getting stuck in your head and compelling you to listen again. The initial laid-back nature of the song is purposeful even, highlighted by the repeated line “I don’t feel anything / In the modern world.”
Top contenders for the best track though would be “Starburster” and “Here’s The Thing.” “Starburster,” the first release from the album, which debuted on April 17, fuels the listener with the angst and emotion of the vocals and lyrics. Its repetition in lines beginning with “I wanna” drives the force of the song, causing your head to immediately bob along.
While “Here’s The Thing” is one of the shortest tracks, at only 2 minutes and 43 seconds, you’ll find yourself wishing it was longer and hitting replay in the meantime. Also angsty and electric guitar-driven, the track is instantly addictive.
This Aug. 23 release has initially striking songs, some sounding entirely different from Fontaine’s D.C.’s previous sound even from their 2022 album release “Skinty Fia.” Intriguing from the first listen, the love for all tracks on the no-skip “Romance” will only grow as you familiarize yourself with every instrumental and lyrical nuance.
