Irish post-punk band Fontaines D.C. bring 'Romance' to Phoenix

In the past six years, few bands have arrived on the scene with the same mixture of hype and power of that Fontaines D.C. possess. And now there's even more reason to be excited about the band with the release of their latest record, "Romance." It’s a scorcher and with the band's stellar reputation as a live powerhouse, their Monday show at The Van Buren in Phoenix appears like a great bet for getting your face rocked off.

For the uninitiated, Dublin, Ireland’s Fontaines D.C.(as in Dublin City) have emerged over the past six years as one of the most exciting bands in the underground rock scene, mixing raw, poetic lyrics with a sense of Gaelic charm that is equal part style, snark and substance. The band released three singles in 2018, including the uber-Irish sounding “Liberty Belle.” As the band have evolved over the four full-length LPs they've released, their sound has matured while keeping a wonderfully visceral edge.

Their debut album, "Dogrel," features a collection of gritty, sharp-edged anthems that had fans and critics standing up at attention. “Too Real,” for example, became something of an anthem for the NWUKPP (New Wave of United Kingdom Post-Punk). The entire record is worth a listen, for sure, and while Fontaines D.C. aren’t necessarily creating anything drastically different than the bands they are clearly influenced by (such as Joy Division and, in some ways, The Clash), they are creating a sound and a style all their own.

"A Hero’s Death" dropped in 2020, showing that the band were far from one-trick ponies. While still rooted in post-punk aggression, the album saw the band expanding their sound, slowing things down a bit and taking the piss out of the perils and platitudes of modern life through singer Grian Chatten’s powerful lyrics. “A Hero’s Death” helped put the band on the map, too, by becoming their first single to chart in their native Ireland, but the video for the song is about as dark as they come as it skewers the world of late-night TV.

As the band moved into "Skinty Fia" in 2022, their vocals became a little less driven by poetry and embraced the dark as much as the light. It’s a richer tapestry than the previous two releases and adds in some more goth and experimental influences to the sound. At this point, there can be comparisons made to Radiohead, as well, in how Fontaines D.C. approach their songwriting. Tracks like “Jackie Down the Line” and “I Love You” stand out in both intensity and the ability to bring forth a satisfying release. Where Fontaines D.C. really shines is in how they convey emotion in their music.

The band, made up of Chatten (vocals), Carlos O'Connell (guitar), Conor Curley (guitar), Conor Deegan III (bass) and Tom Coll (drums), have been playing together for a decade at this point and it shows. If you watch any live videos of Fontaines D.C., you can see the comfort they exhibit with one another on stage. There's also a bit of mystery in their performances that make it even harder to take your eyes off them because you just don’t know what will happen next.

The tracks on "Romance" promise to provide a beautiful spectacle, From the lush “Desire” to the Smiths meets Oasis (when they were more interested in making music than fighting internally) feel of “Bug,” there is a lot to be excited about. For our money, the noisy dream pop of “Motorcycle Boy” is one we are rooting to hear on Monday night in downtown Phoenix. Pretty please, Irish friends…pretty, please.

Fontaines D.C. With Been Stellar. Doors 7 p.m., show 8 p.m., Monday, Sept. 30. The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St. Tickets are available on The Van Buren website.