Fontaines D.C. secure their first UK Number One album with ‘Skinty Fia’
Fontaines D.C. come into their own on their first UK and Ireland number one album, showcasing their extraordinary talent, depth and individuality as they soar to new heights.
★★★★★
Photo: Press
Largely considered to be one of the best bands to burst onto the music scene in recent years, having received both critical acclaim and commercial success with their first two albums, Fontaines D.C.’s newest record, Skinty Fia, sees the band reach new heights, as they combine an eclectic mix of influences ranging from traditional Irish folk music to the Madchester scene, resulting in a truly unique collection of songs, which, for want of a much less clichéd phrase, really take the listener on a sonic and emotional journey.
The opening track, In ár gGroíthe go deo, was inspired by a woman’s fight to allow the Irish phrase (which translates to “in our hearts forever”) to be included on her mother’s grave a few years ago, against the Church of England, who tried to argue the use of Irish language on a headstone could be seen as a political statement.
It sets the scene for the record, both in the intense, hauntingly-beautiful tone of the music, and the topic; Skinty Fia as an album largely explores feelings of Irish identity and pride, navigating this from the perspective of the band since their re-location to England. The song’s structure, a build-up from just a simple, two-note bassline and layers of eery, harmonised vocals at the beginning, to crashing drums and the repetition of “Gone is the day / Gone is the night / Gone is the day” almost feels like a mission statement for the record; Fontaines are here to get their message across, and the monotonous and forceful moments in In ár gGroíthe go deo, and Skinty Fia as a whole, show they’re not messing around, and creating something darkly stunning in the process.
While the band clearly seem to have moved on from the faster, lighter-hearted sounds of 2019’s Dogrel, tracks such as Big Shot and How Cold Love Is channel similar energy to some of 2020’s A Hero’s Death; the closest track to the band’s earlier material is perhaps the more upbeat, yet slightly sinister sound of Jackie Down The Line, with its regular intervals of “Do do do / La la la” feeling a little reminiscent of debut album track Sha Sha Sha.
Roman Holiday is one of the less intense moments musically on the record, with the song taking a more relaxed tone than some of the previous tracks. Lyrically, the song delves back into the perspective of being Irish in England, with frontman Grian Chatten explaining to Rolling Stone that, being an Irishman in London, he is “still sort of mocked” and “told to go home”; but this is something he began to wear “like a badge of honour”, with the song exploring the feeling of turning that into “a positive thing”.
The Couple Across The Way takes inspiration from Irish folk music, with Chatten displaying his skills on the accordion alongside lyrics which tell the story of an old couple, exploring the changes in not only their own relationship over the years, but the world around them (“The world has changed beyond our doorstep / Peoplе talk and dress so strange”). While the track isn’t the strongest on the album, it showcases the band’s diversity and creativity, and the references to traditional Irish music are refreshing to hear in popular music.
The peak of the record is the title track, which seems to perfectly pull together the sounds Fontaines D.C. have dabbled with across their three albums, combining them all into something with a perfect balance of seriousness and intensity, while also being a tune you could stick on at a party. Almost giving the feel of a dark Happy Mondays or Stone Roses track, thanks to the chorus-filled guitar riff paired with a Madchester/rave-esque drum beat, Skinty Fia echoes the monotony of the album’s opener, with the song’s unconventional structure not massively progressing, but still incorporating a gradual build-up, shimmering around Chatten’s largely spoken-word vocals.
The brooding sounds of I Love You re-visit the theme of Irish pride, while also displaying distain for much of the county’s politics and history. Chatten’s outstandingly emotional and powerful vocal delivery immerse the listener in the emotions of the words, in what the band described to NME as their first “overtly political” lyrics (Now the morning's filled with cokeys trying to talk you through it all / Is their mammy Fine Gael and is their daddy Fianna Fáil?). The change from the softer beginning to the track to the intense second half effectively reflects Chatten’s rising anger and frustration throughout the song, showing Fontaines’ remarkable ability to show emotions through the music itself, rather than just relying on lyrics to convey their message.
The album is wrapped up flawlessly by closing track Nabokov, its swirling guitars, loose drums and echoey backing vocals creating a gorgeously dark, nostalgic atmosphere (the nostalgic sound might be a result of the track having a slightly similar sound to The Verve’s The Rolling People, but since the overall vibe of the song is so different, we won’t dwell on that too much).
The track helps the album feel like a complete experience, and as soon as it fades out, you want to flip the record back over and start again. It’s not the easiest of listens, but its haunting beauty will keep pulling you back, in a way which I think even supersedes Fontaines’ previous two records. Dogrel and A Hero’s Death are both exceptional albums, but Skinty Fia feels like the truest reflection of the band, showing a natural progression of sound, as they bring together so many different influences to create something truly unique and emotive. Let’s hope this is just the start of an extraordinary career for Fontaines D.C.
Skinty Fia is out now via Partisan Records.
