Following their widely lauded debut Dogrel and Grammy-nominated follow-up A Hero’s Death, Dublin alt-rockers Fontaines D.C. have duly delivered again with the release of the stunning Skinty Fia which completes a hattrick of albums to have landed to critical acclaim in the space of just four years.
The quintet’s most musically experimental record to date, Skinty Fia paints the picture of a group of patriotic young Irish men thrust into a life of stardom away from the land of their youth, and the internal questions and challenges this presents.
With four of Fontaines’ five members now residing in London, the title of the opening track ‘In ár gCroíthe go deo’ is significant. An Irish phrase translated as “forever in our hearts”, the song name relates to an episode of controversy in Coventry back in 2018, in which the Church of England denied the family of an Irish woman named Margaret Keane to engrave these words on her headstone for fear of political tension. This reference appears to offer an insight into how the band’s evolving cultural identity, amidst a supposed feeling of otherness as Irishmen living in the UK, seemingly only serves to strengthen their national pride.
The first single released from the album, ‘Jackie Down The Line’, may well be the most poppy and radio-friendly track Fontaines have ever released. With charismatic frontman Grian Chatten’s trademark snarling vocals sounding uncharacteristically delicate, the number’s groovy guitar hook and rhythm juxtapose with its lyrics which unveil a toxic lover – “I don’t think we’d rhyme/ I will wear you down in time/ I will hurt you, I’ll desert you/ I am Jackie Down The Line”.
Fontaines’ 3rd LP demonstrates a clear evolution in sound from their previous releases, with the album’s title track perhaps the most vivid sample of this. Mysterious and almost ravey sounding, Skinty Fia, which takes its name from an old Gaelic expletive, lands as a stirring concoction of forceful musicality and stark lyricism – “I let her prise apart my ribcage like a crackhead at the blinds.”
The record’s highlight arrives with penultimate track ‘I Love You’, which boasts a guitar intro reminiscent of the Stone Roses’ classic indie banger ‘I Wanna Be Adored’. The song effectively transitions from a romantic declaration – “If I must have a future, I want it with you” – to a full-blown assault on current Irish power bearers. In a brutal yet profound gut-shot of a monologue delivered emphatically by Chatten, the country’s housing crisis and youth suicide epidemic are succinctly condemned – “Flowers read like broadsheets/ every young man wants to die.”
By captivating a unique sense of nationalism likely to be shared by members of the Irish diaspora all across the world, Skinty Fia is an expertly crafted account of an unrelenting yet exasperating love for one’s country from afar. The musicianship of each individual member of the band comes to the fore on this exploratory record, which seals Fontaines’ reputation as one of the hottest acts guitar music currently has to offer.
Rating: 4/5
