Fontaines D.C. share their sophomote album ‘A Hero’s Death’
The second album from the Irish punk outfit has been nominated for a Grammy and is a welcome change of pace.
★★★★☆
Photo: Mark Beaumont
After the release of their debut album Dogrel last year, Dublin based indie rock band Fontaines D.C. had a lot of expectations to live up to with A Hero’s Death, which they released on July 31st. Having studied at BIMM in Dublin, the five-piece band have gone on to achieve some incredible things — not to mention releasing two full-length albums and now being nominated for a Grammy (which, by the way, is quite a big deal, especially for these guys).
First up is enigmatic and powerful I Don’t Belong, that sets the mood for the rest of the album — it’s unforgiving, the statement they’re trying to display doesn’t struggle to be conceived. In my opinion, this is the perfect opener to the album and they couldn’t have chosen a better song to begin with. The music video to go along with it captures the dynamics of the song perfectly and leaves you wondering if there’s anything this band can't do. Guaranteed, if you haven’t listened already, this song will be stuck in your head by the end of the first chorus.
Next is Love Is The Main Thing, which Grian Chatten drawls through with ease, flexing his suave Irish twang; this song is a mellow, construed way of building up to the next one, giving you a hint of what’s to come with the rest of the album without revealing too much. It’s repetitive, much like the previous song, but it works incredibly well.
They don’t need complex, poetic lyrics to be one of the most exciting ‘new’ indie rock bands on the scene. What they’ve done on these two songs, they have done incredibly well. They’ve made songs that aren’t just songs, they’re statements in their own right; telling a story without saying too much.
Televised Mind is the follow-up and, before I’ve even heard any lyrics, I think this might just be my favourite off the album. The song is slightly nuanced from the previous two, still having that repetitive style they’ve mastered with ease and it’s clear to see they let the instruments do a lot of the talking for them. While being cleverly written, it’s also catchy, all the while being chill enough to enjoy by itself.
The next track is A Lucid Dream — a song I’ve heard only good things about. The build-up to the vocals is exhilarating, taking you on an unexpected journey; making this highly listenable and extremely enjoyable, even for the fussiest of music fans. If you’re not sure about this album, I think this song might be a good place to start. It’s got masterful layers to it, and is their most complex song on the album so far, something sure to woo you over after the first listen.
You Said is the next track off the 11-track album and is a far cry from the previous songs. You Said is an unfiltered, mesmerising and tender song, which is something they were yet to do so far. It slots in perfectly, adding a soft balance to an otherwise unruly album.
Adjacent to the previous song, Oh Such A Spring, is another slower, concise spin on the indie rock ballads we know and love. This ones definitely a stand out for me, with a simple chord progression and more focus on the vocals, it’s a strong contender for my favourite on the album. It shows that it doesn’t take interwoven chords and lyrics to show you deserve your place with the creme de la creme of the music industry, but a diversity shown within the simplest of songs that truly prove why you belong.
The title track, A Hero’s Death, starts off sounding a bit reminiscent of The Strokes’ Last Nite before sounding much more like their own noteworthy sound. Starting off with the potent line “life ain’t always empty,” A Hero’s Death is a lesson in a song. If you needed any more proof that Fontaines D.C. are one of the best bands on the indie-rock block, look no further.
Following up, a fan favourite is the enigmatic Living In America. It’s not difficult to see why this is so many people’s favourite straight off the bat; its chord progression is funky and it’s most definitely a leap away from the previous tracks. I Was Not Born follows after and is an unpredictable, passionate escapade from beginning to end, cementing their feet firmly in the grounds of the music business and proving they’re not here to mess about.
Sunny is the penultimate song on the album and is the slowest one yet. It’s a calm, relaxed track; showcasing how much they’ve accomplished within one album. It’s impressive how they’ve accumulated such a well-rounded, immeasurable album in the space of just under an hour.
Lastly, is the aptly titled No, which is the perfect ending to a bold and brilliant second album from the band. They love a good instrumental intro, and they don’t shy away from one to end the album on a high note — I couldn’t imagine a better song to end the album. No is a powerful parade; minimal with the percussion and heavy on the strings.
Overall, I’m a big fan of this refined, definitive album from Fontaines D.C., and it comes at no surprise that it is such an excellent offering. If you’re a fan of IDLES or The Libertines, you’ll be a fan of A Hero’s Death without a doubt.
