Fontaines D.C.: A Hero's Death | 4ZZZ Brisbane 102.1FM

- Growing up in public does not seem easy. From the array of youth plucked into the X Factor universe to pop stars whose careers begin as children, we observers have seen mixed fortunes for these performers. The effect seems particularly jarring on those who rocket suddenly to success at a youthful age. And while it would be absurd to place young Irish punks Fontaines D.C. in the same category as Bieber etc., they did encounter a head-rush of recognition from their debut album Dogrel released last year.

This resulted in a packed touring schedule, equally packed venues, widespread critical and commercial praise – everything an aspiring band could wish for. And yet, it was understandably a lot to take in for these four young men from Dublin. Their new album A Hero’s Death comes hot on the heels of their spunky debut but its world-weariness makes it sound like most bands’ fourth record. This could be cause for criticism, like we’re observing a group that went and took all the fun out of their music way too quickly.

In truth, however, that would be nonsense. A Hero’s Death is a triumph because it’s so honest. Most bands this young would be tempted to repeat the formula that brought them success in the first place. Fontaines D.C. reject this completely, and yet the results do not sound like a self-conscious attempt to “go dark” or make a “mature” record.

To simplify things grotesquely, if the first record was their Gang of Four album, this is their Joy Division album. It even harkens back to Curtis and co.’s sparse, sinister approach on excellent opening track I Don’t Belong. This more melancholy method continues on the superb Love Is The Main Thing, which blends vocalist Grian Chatten’s existential musings with churning, Morricone-esque guitar and a scattered but intriguing rhythmical approach.

“I wish I could go back to spring again,” Chatten yearns in the gentle, brush-drummed ballad Oh Such A Spring. You could imagine him scribbling such a line into his notebook as the tour bus trundles through yet another anonymous American town. The closest the group comes to first album anthems such as Big or Boys In The Better Land would be the punchy Televised Mind, but even that has a paranoid, nervy energy that is in a far more frazzled place than those two songs. I Was Not Born has the propulsion of some of the first album’s pacier moments, but is dryer and less anthemic. The commitment to the performance, however, still makes for an outstanding track. To be honest, though, even the gloomy stuff is still immensely enjoyable. There’s the track Living In America (not to be confused with the James Brown song of the same name), portraying the idea of life in the USA as a hallucinogenic nightmare: all drones and corrosive guitar over an insistent drum pulse.

In short, if you loved the debut and want another record of bangers, this may not be up your alley. On the other hand, if you loved the debut and want to hear what else Fontaines D.C. have up their sleeve, this is without a doubt one of the year’s must-listens.

- Matt Thrower.
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