This album is a huge leap of change since Fontaines D.C. released Skiny Fia in 2022. Romance (XL Recordings) finds the band wandering out into psychedelic Brit Pop. Drugs certainly might explain some of the changes, though Producer James Ford whose resume includes Gorillaz, HAIM, and Depeche Mode certainly explains the mix and how the sounds are presented here. When it comes to the groove of “Starbursters” it’s hard to argue with the results. This Irish band might have shelved The Clash influence that marked their more post-Punk flavor previously, but this does not feel like they are selling out.

The slick mix highlights the vocals and gives them plenty of room to work their more nuanced magic. Grain Chatten has come into his own as a singer. This is also the band’s fourth album, so they know what they are doing, and have a firm grasp on where they want to take it. Sure, it might be nice to have a little more guitar in the monitors, but for what is going on here the mix is effective. The strum of the guitars to the ballad “In the World Modern” paints a picture of what Tears For Fears might sound like if they covered a song from the last Taylor Swift album. 

“Bug” finds them still have some of the attitudes that pervaded previous work, but streamlined into this more Brit-Pop flavored delivery, this vibe carries over into “Motorcycle Boy.” They are most effective when locked into more of a groove, but the mellower direction still works, though might take some getting used to. At times on this album, you might find yourself waiting for the band to jump back into the kind of groove they hit you with on the second song, but instead, they lean more towards the dream-pop atmosphere that pervades “Sundowner.” Something can be said for the melancholic mood this sound captures. 

“Horseness is the Whatness” is another ballad, this time more along the lines of a psychedelic show tune with reverbed-out surf guitar creeping along the edges. “Death Kink” has more of the punk undercurrent lurking under it, making it one of the album’s best songs. A grungy single-note guitar solo comes in to add more 90s vibes. “Favourite” has a happier strum giving the album a wider range of emotions. Overall, they have expanded the palette of sonic colors gathered to paint the portrait that is this album. It is an album that grows on you with each listen as you settle into this new direction. This album is a leap forward in terms of songwriting, even if they have stepped away from some of the things that got me into them. It’s hard to argue with something that works. 

Buy the album here:
https://fontainesdc.x-l.co/romance

9 / 10
WIL CIFER
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