SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: FONTAINES D.C. – DOPAMINE CHAMBER

FONTAINES D.C.
DOPAMINE CHAMBER
XL RECORDINGS

Dopamine Chamber is Fontaines D.C.’s fifth album, following 2024’s hugely successful Romance. There was a lot of pressure for the band to live up to the expectations set by Romance, not only did they meet these expectations, they surpassed them. Dopamine Chamber is their strongest album of their career, and this is the one that may be hard for them to top. This is an album full of different sounds, styles, and music. While the guitars are still there, the band moved to a more electronic sound, using keyboards very effectively.

The title of the album can be found in the song “One Man”, which sits sort of in the middle of the album “Dopamine chamber just trying to kill the pain / You can’t escape the feeling once you’ve given it a name,” sings Grian Chatten (who also plays guitar and accordion), and it does a nice job of summing up the album. This is not a depressing album, but the band has no problem shining the light on many issues facing us all. But there is hope, and both dread and hope is reflected in the music and the lyrics. “One Man” is sort of the turning point on the album, with songs such as “Where Is Gone? (with ROSALÍA)”, an emotional love song.

The rest of the band, Conor Curley (guitar, keyboards, synthesizer, piano, bass guitar, backing vocals), Conor “Deego” Deegan III (bass, guitar, backing vocals), Tom Coll (drums, percussion, guitar) and Carlos O’Connell (guitar, keyboards, synthesizer, piano, backing vocals) come together and provide the perfect musical background. But don’t be fooled. Listen carefully and closely, as there is so much to discover in their layered sound. It is important to note the members, as Fontaines D.C., perform as a solid unit and as such. And while the guitars may be turned down, for the most part, compared to their previous albums, it is still there and plays a critical role throughout the album.

There is a great deal to love about Dopamine Chamber. It is an album that starts off rather cold and distant (“Six Shot Morning”) then takes its time unfolding its underlying message of love. The band incorporates a great many influences, but they make everything their own distinct sound. It is an album of discovery and gets better with each spin on the turntable.

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