{"product_id":"fontaines-d-c-romance-cd","title":"Fontaines D.C. - Romance CD","description":"\u003cp\u003eCD\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 300;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFontaines D.C\u003c\/strong\u003e. announce details of their highly-anticipated fourth album,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eROMANCE\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e. Released on\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e23\u003csup\u003erd\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eAugust\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003evia\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eXL Recordings\u003c\/strong\u003e,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eROMANCE\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis the band’s first album with producer\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJames Ford\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eand is without doubt their most assured, inventive and sonically adventurous record yet. It’s set to build on the success of the Dublin-made, now London-based band’s acclaimed 2022 album\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eSkinty Fia\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e, which reached number 1 in the UK and Irish album charts and saw the band receiving a host of accolades including “International Group of the Year” at the 2023 BRIT Awards.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 300;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 300;\"\u003eHeralding Fontaines D.C.’s latest creative (r)evolution is the explosive lead single “\u003cstrong\u003eStarburster\u003c\/strong\u003e”. Inspired by a panic attack lead singer\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrian Chatten\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003esuffered in London’s St Pancras station, the song is punctuated by sharp feral intakes of breath. Its propulsive beat and unrelenting lyrics establish self-destruction as fantasy before a brief moment of sobering clarity when the drums fall away and Chatten moves from spitting, almost-rap into an almost-psalm, his baritone rich and dreamy. It’s accompanied by a cinematic music video from director\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAube Perrie\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e(Megan Thee Stallion, Harry Styles, The Hives) that captures the song’s cathartic intensity to brilliant effect.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 300;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 300;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eROMANCE\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eFontaines D.C.s most ambitious, expansive record yet, its 11 tracks constellating ideas that have been percolating among\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrian Chatten\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e(vocals),\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCarlos O’Connell\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e(guitar),\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConor Curley\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e(guitar),\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConor Deegan\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e(bass), and\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTom Coll\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e(drums) since they released\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eSkinty Fia\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003ein 2022. These ideas crystalised while touring the U.S. and Mexico with Arctic Monkeys as the five band members shared music and found a throughline with artists that deftly build out their own sprawling creative worlds: the attitude and aesthetic sheen of artists like Shygirl and Sega Bodega, the bolshy sonic palettes of hip hop and heavy metal, Mos Def, A$AP Ferg, OutKast and Korn. They had time apart to build more singular visions for what future music could be: O’Connell went to Spain’s Castile-La Mancha and later became a new father, while Chatten spent time in LA, and Deegan in Paris. They laid deeper roots in London. Each member spent time pushing their boundaries – experimental riffs, chord progressions, and far-flung lyrical references without intentions for a record. After wrapping up the US arena tour in Autumn 2023, they spent a month writing together again, three weeks of pre-production in a North London studio, and a month in a chateau close to Paris, sleeping among studio equipment, completely immersed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 300;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 300;\"\u003eOf the album’s title, Conor Deegan says, “\u003cem\u003eWe’ve always had this sense of idealism and romance\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eEach album gets further away from observing that through the lens of Ireland, as directly as\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e(Mercury Prize-nominated debut)\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eDogrel.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003e \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe second album\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e(the GRAMMY-nominated\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003e \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eA Hero’s Death\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003e) is about that detachment, and the third (\u003cstrong\u003eSkinty Fia\u003c\/strong\u003e) is about Irishness dislocated in the diaspora. Now we look to where and what else there is to be romantic about\u003c\/em\u003e.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 300;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 300;\"\u003eExpounding on the theme, Chatten recalls Katsuhiro Ôtomo’s anime\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eAkira\u003c\/em\u003e, where the embers of love develop despite a maelstrom of technological degradation and political corruption around its characters. “\u003cem\u003eI’m fascinated by that - falling in love at the end of the world\u003c\/em\u003e,” he says. “\u003cem\u003eThe album is about protecting that tiny flame. The bigger armageddon looms, the more precious it becomes\u003c\/em\u003e,” while O’Connell adds\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e“This record is about deciding what’s fantasy – the tangible world, or where you go in your mind. What represents reality more? That feels almost spiritual for us.”\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 300;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 300;\"\u003eThe sonic evolution of the band, who bared their teeth in early records with antagonistic punk sensibilities, is an ascent into grungier breaks, dystopian electronica, hip-hop percussion, and dreamy Slowdive-esque textures that may surprise fans. The shoegaze touchpoints first pressed on\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eSkinty Fia\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eunfold on\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eROMANCE\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003elike a purpling bruise. But any “retro aesthetic”, as Chatten describes it, is left behind. Reflecting on the impending release, Chatten says, “\u003cem\u003eWe say things on this record we’ve wanted to say for a long time. I never feel like it's over, but it’s nice to feel lighter.\u003c\/em\u003e” The fantasy is felt for better or worse, and Fontaines D.C. welcome either end of oblivion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 300;\"\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 300;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTracklisting\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 300;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col style=\"font-weight: 300;\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRomance\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStarburster\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHere's The Thing\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDesire\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIn The Modern World\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBug\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMotorcycle Boy\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSundowner\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHorseness Is The Whatness\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDeath Kink\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFavourite\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 300;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"XL Recordings","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":56825658081663,"sku":"XL1436CD","price":10.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0286\/2825\/4773\/files\/Fontaines-D_C_-Romance-CD.jpg?v=1780510087","url":"https:\/\/vinilo.co.uk\/products\/fontaines-d-c-romance-cd","provider":"Vinilo Record Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}