Dogrel
Partisan
2019
Rating: 8.5 unavailable connections out of 10
The timeline of my history with “Dogrel”:
1. I listened to this debut record from Ireland’s Fontaines D.C. a few weeks ago. Though it was fine if unremarkable, falling comfortably in the margins of the post-punk style a lot of the kids have been mining lately, particularly across the Atlantic in the UK.
2. Noticed they were the opening act at the Idles show I would be attending the first of May – even though they didn’t blow my socks off with that first impression, it still seemed like it would be worth getting there early to see them live.
3. I was completely blown away by their performance – so visceral and agitated and tense, and it really made me want to revisit this album.
4. Unsurprisingly, spurred on from the strong feelings their live show left with me, I’m now listening to “Dogrel” almost obsessively, to the point that it’s definitely one of my favorite records of the year so far.
5. Now when I listen to them all I can hear is the second coming of the Fall. Perhaps after he died some part the spirit of Mark E. Smith passed directly into Fontaines D.C. singer Grian Chatten. Much like Smith would sometimes do, Chatten paced the stage like a caged tiger while staring at the crowd ominously; unlike Smith, he didn’t spend half the set fucking with the levels on his bandmates’ amps.
What’s the moral of the story here? Listen to “Dogrel,” and even if your first impression isn’t strong – listen to it again. And go see Fontaines D.C. live if you get a chance.
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