Fontaines D.C. - A Hero's Death
The most striking difference between Dogrel and A Hero’s Death is the production: reverb is back. Every fuzz, crackle and hum expands tenfold, it’s size is something to be reckoned with. It’s doused in jangling distortion at its loudest points and it’s hard not to see a slight Jesus and Mary Chain influence, especially considering a few overt hat-tips. From their lockdown cover of ‘Darklands,’ to the name of their early recording sessions, the mentions appear to fit the result: a respect for good pop music, but a tantalising temptation for the raw and loud.
A Hero’s Death breaks out with its quickest tracks first. The torrential force sits on the precipice of control. Opening with I Don’t Belong, it’s clear from the start that Fontaines D.C. haven’t lost their knack for making music which is exciting. The looser production leaves you tracking every distorted ripple. From the deep growling of I Don’t Belong to the scratching attack of Lucid Dream, there’s nothing not fun about the first four tracks.
A Hero’s Death covers musical influences at breakneck speed. Ranging from the spaciously moody Swell Maps, to the scrappy rhythm of the Velvet Underground, or a less abrasively noisy JAMC. At its slightest points, similarities to Broadcast can even be heard. Their Dublin contemporaries such as Girl Band and even the Murder Capital come through on occasions. The album combines snake rattling surf, grinding garage-rock, cloudy 80s post-punk and heady folk. It’s fuzzed and threatening but retains a semblance of tenderness when it needs to. It flirts with its predecessors rather than relying on them.
You Said is probably the weakest song on the record. The melody doesn’t really explore the places you’d like to go. It’s nice, but its placement doesn’t do it any favours. Stuck between the riotous racket of A Lucid Dream and the heady ballad progressions of ‘Oh Such A Spring’, it sits a bit crooked.
On Living in America Grian’s voice merges with a thunderous wailing guitar. The rhythm guitar delivers spanky clean sprung snaps of percussion. The production lets them build atmosphere in a way Dogrel never did, the stormy force that hit with tracks like Hurricane Laughter are allowed space to breathe. This track is a clear and strong demonstrator of that. Plus, it sounds like it’s got some synthesiser sat below, thickening the mix, which adds a richness. On the penultimate track, Sunny, it sounds as though they have added a violin or two. The strings sit comfortably amongst the layered heady vocals. The lead guitar, dripping in spring reverb, gently swirls around the generous mix.
It’s difficult to separate an artist’s new work from their old, let alone when they’re released a year apart. This album stands alone perfectly well, but it’s at its most interesting when compared with Dogrel. It feels more confident and candid. Themes of emancipation run throughout ‘I was not born, to do another man’s bidding’ on aptly named folk-rock banger I Was Not Born, or the opening track I Don’t Belong. Fontaines D.C. don’t appear to want to make things for people other than themselves and this album is an obvious testament to that. Despite the ambiguous depth, at face value, this album is a great pleasure to listen to.
9/10
