{"product_id":"fontaines-d-c-romance-black-vinyl","title":"FONTAINES D.C.  Romance Black Vinyl","description":"\u003ch1\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eROMANCE\u003c\/em\u003e is Fontaines D.C.s most ambitious, expansive record yet\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e11 tracks constellating ideas that have been percolating among \u003cstrong\u003eGrian Chatten\u003c\/strong\u003e (vocals), \u003cstrong\u003eCarlos O’Connell\u003c\/strong\u003e (guitar), \u003cstrong\u003eConor Curley\u003c\/strong\u003e (guitar), \u003cstrong\u003eConor Deegan\u003c\/strong\u003e (bass), and \u003cstrong\u003eTom Coll\u003c\/strong\u003e (drums) since they released \u003cem\u003eSkinty Fia\u003c\/em\u003e in 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOf the album’s title, \u003cstrong\u003eConor Deegan\u003c\/strong\u003e says, “We’ve always had this sense of idealism and romance. Each album gets further away from observing that through the lens of Ireland, as directly as (Mercury Prize-nominated debut) \u003cem\u003eDogrel\u003c\/em\u003e. The second album (the GRAMMY-nominated \u003cem\u003eA Hero’s Death\u003c\/em\u003e) is about that detachment, and the third (\u003cem\u003eSkinty Fia\u003c\/em\u003e) is about Irishness dislocated in the diaspora. Now we look to where and what else there is to be romantic about.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eExpounding on the theme, \u003cstrong\u003eChatten\u003c\/strong\u003e recalls Katsuhiro Ôtomo’s anime \u003cem\u003eAkira\u003c\/em\u003e, where the embers of love develop despite a maelstrom of technological degradation and political corruption around its characters. “I’m fascinated by that - falling in love at the end of the world,” he says. “The album is about protecting that tiny flame. The bigger armageddon looms, the more precious it becomes,” while \u003cstrong\u003eO’Connell\u003c\/strong\u003e adds “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.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\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 Skinty Fia unfold on \u003cem\u003eROMANCE\u003c\/em\u003e like a purpling bruise. But any “retro aesthetic”, as Chatten describes it, is left behind. Reflecting on the impending release, Chatten says, “We 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.” The fantasy is felt for better or worse, and Fontaines D.C. welcome either end of oblivion.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTracklist:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1. Romance\u003cbr\u003e2. Starburster\u003cbr\u003e3. Here's The Thing\u003cbr\u003e4. Desire\u003cbr\u003e5. In The Modern World\u003cbr\u003e6. Bug\u003cbr\u003e7. Motorcycle Boy\u003cbr\u003e8. Sundowner\u003cbr\u003e9. Horseness Is The Whatness\u003cbr\u003e10. Death Kink\u003cbr\u003e11. Favourite\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ireland Vinyl","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48634621034829,"sku":"0191404143612","price":27.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0552\/3515\/0020\/files\/FONTAINESD.C.RomanceBlackVinyl.webp?v=1773248876","url":"https:\/\/www.irelandvinyl.com\/es\/products\/fontaines-d-c-romance-black-vinyl","provider":"Ireland Vinyl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}