Fontaines D.C. – 'Dopamine Chamber' review: dark, synthetic, magnificent
The Dublin band's fifth album is out on October 16, and the first reviews are ecstatic. The Guardian awards it the maximum five stars.
Photo: Gruesome Gary / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Single video: YouTube · Fontaines DC · youtube.com
Single: Tongue
Fontaines D.C. release their fifth album, 'Dopamine Chamber', on XL Recordings on October 16, following 'Romance' (2024). James Ford produced again, with sessions in London, the English countryside and Palermo. The singles 'Marianne' and 'Tongue' came out in advance; 'Tongue' has an official video directed by John Angus Stewart. Rosalía guests on 'Where Is Gone?'.
Early reviews are very strong. In The Guardian, Laura Snapes calls the record endlessly inventive, frequently astonishing and a 'gargantuan triumph' – five out of five stars. NME's Andrew Trendell compares it to The Cure and Massive Attack and calls it an extraordinary record for extraordinary times, adding that the lack of an obvious radio hit only makes it richer.
Musically, the band moves even further from its punk beginnings: synths, samples and harsh electronic moments replace walls of guitar, offset by quieter acoustic passages. Grian Chatten's lyrics deal with collapse, escapism and digital fatigue. RIFF Magazine gives it 8 out of 10 and singles out 'You Miss Me' as a highlight.