Fontaines D.C.

A Hero's Death

Though they were determined not to do more of the same, it’s still unmistakably them – all bodacious repetition, lilting brogue.

This record is about going out into the world and then going deep inside yourself to try to make sense of everything.

The propulsive spark that lit their debut lingers, keeping the record from drifting off into malaise.  There a certainty to their uncertainty. They embrace ambiguity. Fontaines D.C. might be unsure of what they want, but they damn well know what they don't when they see it.

Reminiscent of early Interpol but with the guitars tuned down perhaps, A Hero’s Death is an album that is unafraid to look life in the eyes, but by the time life has looked back, finds itself looking at eyes that have now turned downcast, not out of fear but perhaps resignation.

On their new album, A Hero’s Death, the band scratch at every itch and pick at every scab they’ve developed during their arduous last twelve months, the uglier the better.

It might work best if viewed as a companion piece to Dogrel, played immediately after.

Ultimately, A Hero’s Death can be defined by the title track and its definite list of rules for self-prescribed happiness. Though faced by much bloated expectation, its surreal mantra for success is a convincing argument that this is a band hellbent on delivering on the hype, rather than succumbing to it.

Fontaines D.C.'s A Hero's Death is the follow-up to the acclaimed Dogrel, and it features some of their best work -- alongside some of their most generic.

After turning heads on their debut, Dogrel, last year, the post-punks flirt with psychedelia and echoey guitar while their singer stands his ground.

Setting a high bar on a debut album has always been a double-edged sword, as demonstrated here on A Hero's Death, which is a fine album that is nonetheless a step down from the booze-soaked sticky floors of Dogrel.

It is missing the stable spine that gave the band’s earlier work such distinctive character, and their repetitious, two-dimensional songs bring the overall package down. Still, when the band is at its best, Fontaines D.C. delivers an irresistible cocktail of post-punk storytelling.

Less of an immediate sensation as the group’s debut, A Hero’s Death nonetheless cements the group as one of the most exciting rock bands to emerge in an age.

Production elements add a value that confirms these boys from the better land don’t need to pander to crowd swelling bangers akin to previous outings, instead, they’re ready to be the band that put noise to feeling. Though some singalong moments wouldn’t go amiss.

As far as modern post-punk goes, A Hero's Death is disappointingly run-of-the-mill.