"Favourite" by Fontaines D.C. review
Will the Dublin lads secure their spot as the best band in the world?
If someone asked me who the best band in the world is right now, I’d say Fontaines D.C. There is no other band from the last five, even ten years who’s been as prolific and consistent as Fontaines D.C has been. You might say IDLES, but I don’t think their music has continued to ascend to the points of inspired ecstasy in the same way as Fontaines. What do I mean by “inspired ecstasy?” I mean a seamless flow of evolution in their music that fits like a Yankees jersey on Juan Soto.
Fronted by Grian Chatten, this Irish post-punk band has won over the American audience, a feat that post-punk bands from across the pond have historically struggled with. Back in 2022, I saw them at Brooklyn Steel (1,800 cap.) and this October, they’ve already sold out their two shows at the new Brooklyn Paramount (2,700 cap.).
Listening to their first 2024 single “Starburster,” I knew this band had way more in the tank than I could have imagined. It reminded me of boom-bap east coast hip-hop and made me feel like I was listening to the Irish Wu-Tang Clan.
Hearing their new single, “Favourite,” I was taken aback because it was not what I anticipated after hearing “Starburster.” “Favourite” is a lot more simple and not unlike a lot of other alternative rock music I’d heard before. I don’t mean that in a bad way either, and if I’m being honest, it makes me more excited to hear the range of sound that I hope this album will encompass. My first reaction to the lead guitar line was “that could have been better.” But as I listened more, I felt its intentionality. Its effortlessness doesn’t come from a lack of creativity, it plays on the song’s melancholy and lack of desire in its lyrics.
“Favourite” hits a point of nostalgia that I’ve yet to hear from Fontaines D.C. and the music video to go with it certainly helped validate that feeling. And, maybe this is grasping at straws, but I think the simplicity of the song is a nod and wink at the nostalgia it projects. It’s got lyrical airs of Blood on the Tracks Dylan: a bittersweet love song that captures the feeling of reminiscing about someone you’ve loved. But, is it about a lover? It certainly seems like it, but I actually don’t think it is, and the ambiguity of the subject adds to the tenderness of the track.
Fontaines D.C.’s upcoming album, Romance, comes out on August 23rd.
