“It invites a bigger audience into Fontaines DC’s world, but it never begs them to accept. You suspect they’ll take up the offer regardless.” – The Guardian ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
“Knockout, spiritual songs for the end of time… ‘Romance’ offers moments of wonder and gravity while also feeling occasionally foreboding – NME ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
“The brilliance of Romance lies in its unsettling blend of antic energy with refined craft—in the depths of detachment, Fontaines D.C. strike an engaging pose.” – Pitchfork
“Cementing their place as generational greats” – Rolling Stone UK ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
“On fourth album Romance, the band retain their distinctive sound — impulsive riffs, poetic observations — but they have switched things up; their spiky poise feels more assured, their scope vaster than ever” – Financial Times ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
“A game-changing masterpiece” – Dork ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
“That Fontaines DC are accomplished, assured songwriters and musicians is well-established by now, but it’s such a joy to hear they are also (whisper it) quite fun” – DIY Magazine ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
“The extraordinary thing about these songs is that even after a couple of listens they sound like instant classics… It’s simply simply that there is no band that reiterate rock’n’roll’s allure with more conviction than Fontaines D.C. right now” – Hi-Fi Choice ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
An album of impeccably considered concepts championed by songwriting that refuses to let the Dublin outfit down”
– The Skinny ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
“It’s hard to believe given their track record—the Mercury Prize-nominated debut Dogrel (2019), the Grammy-nominated second album A Hero’s Death (2020), and the critically acclaimed Skinty Fia (2022)—but Fontaines D.C. have outdone themselves” – Under The Radar 9/10
“The future is here and it’s alive with possibility. One reason Romance feels so exciting is its affirmation of a renewed creative spirit” – MOJO ★ ★ ★ ★
“A record that leaves post-punk in its dust and roars off into broad new horizons. Potential fulfilled” – The Independent ★ ★ ★ ★
“It’s startling to think how far Fontaines have traveled creatively in five years, through an agitated restlessness, a vivid imagination, and courage to try the new. With Romance, they’ve found a new place to excel” – Record Collector ★ ★ ★ ★
“With Romance, Fontaines D.C. leveled up in ways that couldn’t have been expected” – Stereogum
“Romance, their fourth album in five years, feels like a rebirth. From the cascading synth ripples that usher in the title track—a brooding slab of art-rock overture—it’s the sound of a once-underdog group recalibrating their sound to suit the arenas and amphitheaters they’ve increasingly been playing” – Spin
ROMANCE è l’album più ambizioso dei Fontaines D.C e le sue 11 tracce raccolgono le idee maturate tra i membri della band – Grian Chatten (voce), Carlos O’Connell (chitarra), Conor Curley (chitarra), Conor Deegan (basso) e Tom Coll (batteria) – da quando hanno pubblicato Skinty Fia nel 2022. L’evoluzione sonora della band, che ha mostrato i denti nei primi dischi con una sensibilità punk antagonista, è un’ascesa verso break più grunge, elettronica distopica, percussioni hip-hop e texture sognanti alla Slowdive che potrebbero sorprendere i fan. I tocchi shoegaze emersi per la prima volta su “Skinty Fia” si dispiegano su “Romance” come un livido porpora. Ma qualsiasi “estetica retrò”, come la descrive Chatten, viene lasciata alle spalle. Riflettendo sull’imminente uscita, Chatten dice: “In questo disco diciamo cose che volevamo dire da molto tempo. Non mi sento mai come se fosse finita, ma è bello sentirsi più leggeri”.
Recentemente, i Fontaines D.C. hanno annunciato il loro più grande spettacolo da headliner di sempre, un evento da 45.000 posti al Finsbury Park di Londra il 5 luglio. Per tutto il 2024 la band irlandese, nominata ai GRAMMY e vincitrice di un BRIT Award, viaggerà in Europa e Nord America e farà tappa in Italia per un’unica data già sold-out il 04 novembre all’Alcatraz di Milano.
