It’s rare that a debut album from a band as heavily hyped as Fontaines D.C. have been still contains the power to excite and surprise, but ‘Dogrel’ is that record.
The Irish troubadours come good on a debut album that offers both a storyteller’s narrative voice and a snarling new vision of youthful disillusionment.
People going into ‘Dogrel’ may well be expecting punk-infused posturing on the state of society, and they certainly won’t be disappointed. But alongside this, there’s genuine heart in Fontaines D.C’s music.
Fontaines DC are as important as they come.
This is the kind of songwriting quality that bands can take years to reach, or never reach at all: brilliant, top to bottom.
Dogrel feels both overwhelming and tender, caustic and soothing, a blast of working class rage grown articulate while retaining its primal howl.
Authentic, raw and honest, it is eclectic, original and a work of multifaceted expression.
This is an album that brings the Irish city to life, as the plucky five piece take you on a journey through rain-soaked streets, violent encounters and a reassured confidence that comes from struggle.
In its madcap polemicist playfulness and sincerity, there’s a record that starts with all the earnestness of Bobby Gillespie pining for a hit and ends with an exquisitely territorial ballad.
On their debut, Fontaines DC have crafted a clear, unedited picture of who they are and what they’re made of. It’s a joy to witness.
Dogrel is evocative, meticulous and rich in a love for the character of Dublin, and all the little things that, past and present, contribute to that.
This is the sound of vitality; of authenticity and ambition; of style, substance, and swagger all packed in to 35 minutes of vulnerable, honest pop music that is weighted with melancholy, yet buoyed by youthful vigor and touched, perhaps, by genius.
Dogrel is an album of tremendous ardor and vivid landscapes, and interspersed with an Irish underdog spirit, Fontaines D.C. are nearly untouchable.
The steely Dublin post-punk band infuse the bitterness and rage of the Fall with punch-drunk romanticism.
It's a rough-and-ready record, soaked in booze and obscured by a cloud of cigarette smoke, but through the haze lies a love letter to working-class life in the city.
Dogrel definitely delivers on the tremendous hype, after their singles have done anything but fall on deaf ears. Watch this space.
Dogrel highlights not only why they are being name-dropped by every hipster around these parts, but also the limitations that the post-punk oeuvre has in terms of stretching and challenging the audience.
Post-punk has new blood coursing through its veins, transcendently authentic, and boisterously good. You'll want to give Dogrel a listen.
I think that it is relatively unfair to wholly compare these guys to the likes of IDLES and Parquet Courts. If you are expecting something of the nature of either of those bands then you will probably be let down because FDC have a style all their own, and one that I am particularly fond of at that!
The songs on this thing were so catchy, fun and honest, and I definitely just felt like this was the band just having a good time and enjoying themselves. Songs like Sha Sha Sha and Liberty Belle ... read more
I see this growing on me, I'm quite surprised!
Edit: I got kinda bored of this album quickly but now that I relistened to it I've realized that I truly like it
Well, I hope to make it right this time. First, the first impression in this is the characteristic sound, is like compend of not just a place but an era, a sphere of music that resides in the UK. In a weak comparison, some parts in the production the mix of voice, guitar, and backtrack sounds like The clash, other parts remind me a little to the smiths, and there are guitars that remind me The who, is maybe a simple vision general but the point is not the references maybe nay the result and the ... read more
The comparison from debut to most recent release is really interesting in the case of Fontaines D.C.. This was certainly sonically more upbeat than the very dark soundscape of 'Skinty Fia' but still harbours Grian's distinctive vocal delivery and gritty lyricism which differentiates this band from all others. I definitely think 'Skinty Fia' is an improvement on this but this still stands up as a great album and fantastic debut from such a quality outfit
Pretty derivative overall. The closing track is The Pogues singing Dylan’s A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall in a post punky style. I hear a lot of Clash influences, especially on Sha Sha Sha where the rhythm guitar, drums and vocals remind me very much of London Calling. I’d call it a rip off.
Some songs are really good. I like their style, but there’s too many ideas that have been used before on this album for it to be an interesting listen.
Fav song: The Lotts/Liberty ... read more
1 | Big 1:45 | 82 |
2 | Sha Sha Sha 2:31 | 79 |
3 | Too Real 4:08 | 86 |
4 | Television Screens 3:59 | 82 |
5 | Hurricane Laughter 4:50 | 83 |
6 | Roy's Tune 3:00 | 80 |
7 | The Lotts 4:57 | 80 |
8 | Chequeless Reckless 2:15 | 79 |
9 | Liberty Belle 2:31 | 79 |
10 | Boys In the Better Land 5:00 | 88 |
11 | Dublin City Sky 4:52 | 81 |
#1 | / | BBC Radio 6 Music |
#1 | / | Northern Transmissions |
#1 | / | Rough Trade |
#2 | / | Magnet |
#3 | / | God Is In The TV |
#4 | / | Louder Than War |
#4 | / | OOR |
#4 | / | PopMatters |
#5 | / | Les Inrocks |
#6 | / | Clash |