Published by Mason Oldridge, 16 April 2022
Fontaines D.C. pay tribute to their Irish roots, an attribute that both strengthens and hinders their third album Skinty Fia.
In ár gCroíthe go deo, translating to “In our hearts forever”, is a haunting track, aided by the internal choir verse that repeats throughout the six-minute epic. The music slowly builds up to a drum and bass centre that further compliments the backing vocals.
Unfortunately, the opener sets up false hope as what follows is a line-up of tracks that don’t impress. Although displaying a strong riff, the heavy guitars on Big Shot almost drowns out the vocals whereas the instrumentation on The Couple Across the Way is almost painful in a song that is centred on what sounds to be an accordion. Additionally, vocals are sub-par, drawing on the whiny sound of Britpop vocalists Gallagher and Albarn.
As opposed to the heartfelt nostalgia felt in other albums that acknowledge an artist’s place of origin such as Keane’s Strangeland, Skinty Fia feels more like forced patriotism, evident in the Irish pronunciation in lead single Jackie Down the Line, as if the band feel guilty and are punishable for even leaving their home nation.
3/10