Fontaines DC - 'Romance' • DIY Magazine

To many, the natural-born star power of Fontaines D.C. was evident even before ‘Dogrel’, their 2019 debut album, saw the light of day. Three albums later, the history books will remember ‘Romance’ as the one that sent them supernova.

The sense that the Dublin quintet could be rock’s next big thing had never really gone anywhere, with it bubbling along at a reasonable pace while the band visibly manoeuvred this trajectory on 2020’s ‘A Hero’s Death’ and its follow-up 2022’s ‘Skinty Fia’. But from the day that ‘Starburster’ beckoned in their fourth era, that tempo shifted. It bolted – uncontrollably.

While evolution is the fundamental principle that keeps a band relevant, ‘Romance’ represented more of a revolution. The radiant neon green, pink and blue colour palette came out of nowhere, spearheading a dystopian, cyberpunk aesthetic that simultaneously took inspiration from the nu-metal golden age of the ’90s. A bold antithesis, almost, to the five men who had previously appeared introverted and silent, while frontman Grian Chatten awkwardly paced around the stage between songs, only five years prior.

This visual revolution makes sense, in the context of what was going on beneath Grian’s lime green Adidas tracksuit or guitarist Carlos O’Connell’s unmissable pink hair. ‘Romance’ marked the first time Fontaines DC began to embrace the stardom that had come their way, toying with it and using it to their advantage. The band’s previous tendency to shy away from the inevitable exemplifies the metaphor of the title, exploring how we often walk the path of romance – be it denial, escapism or twisting the truth – instead of facing reality.

The history books will remember ‘Romance’ as the album that sent them supernova.

This newfound acceptance spilled into the band’s live shows, which saw them conquer gigantic outdoor venues like Cardiff Castle and London’s Finsbury Park. There, the band allowed the expansive universe of ‘Romance’ to fulfil its destiny, complete with theatrical production and 45,000 revellers who helped turn their Bohemian FC football shirts into a festival- dominating phenomenon.

As for the songs themselves, ‘Romance’ is undeniably daring: the visceral gasps of a panic attack in ‘Starburster’; the Weezer-meets-Smashing Pumpkins mushy-rock might to ‘Here’s The Thing’; the ethereal vocal turn of guitarist Conor Curley on ‘Sundowner’. These songs juggle the immediacy of first impact with the timeless questions they leave, tackling ambition (‘Desire’), circularity (‘Bug’) and dread (‘In The Modern World’).

All of those topics, among others, are unpicked through that murky lens between reality and romance, perhaps helping find points of clarity for its authors and its listeners to cling onto. Grian asks on the title-track if “romance is a place” – and it’s one that maybe exists in both the conscious and subconscious. He “[doesn’t] feel anything in the modern world,” but by the end of the record, the sincerity of his relationship with his fiancée is crystal-clear: “You been my favourite for a long time.”

‘Romance’ has propelled Fontaines D.C. to unimaginable heights, and ones that they once weren’t prepared to confront. In itself, it is a world to get lost in – for better or worse – all while facing that exact paradox through the immersive storytelling of its authors.

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Tags: Features, Fontaines D.C.