A Band That Makes Their Own Rules
“I don’t belong to anyone. I don’t want to belong to anyone“
Fontaines D.C. burst onto the music scene with a post-punk fury on their 2019 debut album Dogrel. Harkening The Clash, very early LCD Soundsystem, and more recent acts like Sports Team, IDLES, Sea Girls, etc., this Dublin quintet was in your face and ready to take the world by storm.
Merely a year later, the band’s stellar sophomore album, A Hero’s Death, drops this Friday. I got an opportunity preview the album, but I wasn’t quite ready for the curveball that hit my ears.
After relentless touring in support of Dogrel, something must have clicked and/or shifted with these gents. Right off the bat, A Hero’s Death makes it clear that this is a different album and a different version of Fontaines D.C.. While some of the post-punk elements are still present, they have taken more of a backseat in the new album. Instead, this iteration of Fontaines D.C. features psych rock, much more balladry, and matured lyricism. All of this leads to much more depth on this body of work.
One fascinating aspect of A Hero’s Death, is that three of the songs are older than Dogrel. Despite this,“I Was Not Born“ sounds more like what you would expect from an “indie rock“ song with its consistently upbeat and toe-tapping vibe. “Televised Mind“ and the title-track are WAY more psych rock than anything on Dogrel, or even most of the rest of this album. “Living In America“ is another psych rock standout, but it appears obvious that this is a more recent entry due to its layers.
I can’t leave out the surprising softer side of A Hero’s Death. “Love Is The Main Thing“ immediately brings to mind a band like Echo & The Bunnymen, but not quite as eighties-ish. “You Said“ is a standout track that almost sounds like it could be the Black Angels covering The Shins. The mellowness of “Oh Such A Spring“ is one of the more surprising tracks on the album, and it’s also one of my favorite tracks. It has a delicacy that I never fathomed I’d hear from this band.
The sprawling genres on A Hero’s Death is a reflection of Fontaines D.C.’s musical journey to date. If nothing else, it’s exciting to see what chapters are waiting to be written for this band on the rise.
A Hero’s Death drops everywhere tomorrow, July 31st.
Tune In & Tune Out,
-Josh
The official music video for “Televised Mind“
The title-track was recorded last month for an episode of Live At Home for Later… with Jools Holland
The fantastic opening track for A Hero’s Death, “I Don’t Belong“
