Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs in Arabic Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.Irish alt-rock quintet Fontaines DC have barely paused for breath since the exhilarating outbursts of their debut album, 2019’s Dogrel. Since then, they have amassed an ardent fan base, a Grammy nomination for their second LP, A Hero’s Death, a Brit Award for Best International Group, and headline gigs alongside a support slot for Arctic Monkeys on their US tour. 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.The band’s catalogue has shifted from expressions of life within Ireland to the broader diaspora experience. Romance moves away from the direct references of their last album, 2022’s Skinty Fia into more surreal landscapes, yet it still feels intensely personal. Vocalist Grian Chatten has cited the post-apocalyptic Japanese manga/anime classic Akira as an influence; the album artwork depicts a weeping heart (in a similar hot pink hue to guitarist Carlos O’Connell’s hair).The opening title track resounds with doom-laden drama (“And God knows I love ye/ Screws in my head/ I will be beside you/ Til you’re dead”). It’s followed by the woozy melody and jolting rhythms of standout single “Starburster”, apparently inspired by a panic attack Chatten experienced in a London train station, also evoked by his startling, gulping delivery. He still name-drops literary giants in his lyrics, although this time it’s JD Salinger rather than James Joyce.Elsewhere, “In The Modern World” projects melancholy with a cinematic feel (“I feel alive/ In the city you despise”); “Here’s The Thing” is an angsty yet catchy guitar melody; “Sundowner”’s dreamy lyrics unfold to a trippy retro indie groove; “Favourite” sweetly evokes 1980s New Order guitar tunes, while striking a defiantly upbeat endnote.Fontaines DC tend to evoke a dizzying mash-up of musical styles: post-punk, nu-metal, hip hop, indie, electronica. Romance has all of these, but the fact that it actually gels is testimony to the band’s sharp songwriting and emboldened musicianship. They have also arguably found an apt new home in the genre-splicing XL label (which embraced both The Prodigy’s early-1990s rave breakthrough and Adele’s 21st-century superstardom). This snappy, fierce and tender new material should appeal to long-standing fans alongside new devotees, and also translate powerfully to their upcoming live shows.★★★★★‘Romance’ is released by XL Recordings
