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SOUNDS GOOD Andrew Lambert Fontaines D.C. Skinty
Fia [Partisan Records] Wet Leg Wet Leg [Domino Recordings] Having evolved over the course of the past five years from hometown heroes to international headliners, the third record from Fontaines D.C. finds the band thoughtfully contemplating their Irish identity and the residual guilt that haunts the Dublin quintet for leaving home to embark on their current path to glory. Skinty Fia (translation: ‘’the damnation of the deer’’) ties itself up with heavy themes of doubt, loss and disconnection but Fontaines have never sounded more assured. Retaining the dark atmospherics introduced on A Hero’s Death (evidenced on stirring opener In ár gCroíthe go deo) while never forgoing Dogrel’s penchant for sweeping, stadium sized guitar lines (Big Shot, Roman Holiday) and hypnotic vocal hooks (Jackie Down The Line, I Love You); Skinty Fia fleshes out the foundations of Fontaines’ signature sound while developing a richer instrumental palette and sharper production values, unveiling itself as the natural culmination of an evolutionary trio of albums. Lyrically, Grian Chatten is a revelation throughout, ascending to new heights with a level of romanticism and poetry only hinted at previously, never more so than on The Couple Across The Way. Accompanied by a lone accordion, Chatten is earnest and affecting on one of the best songs of the band’s young career. This feels like what Fontaines have been striving toward since day one, a bewitching mix of maudlin melody and murky poetry that defined the classic eighties post-punk from which the band descended. On Skinty Fia, Fontaines write longingly of home while truly arriving on the international stage with their most accomplished work yet. AL Formed by best friends Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers atop a ferris wheel in their native Isle Of Wight, and named after playing an emoji combination game, the kooky conception story of Wet Leg is a perfect introduction to the oddball collection of lo-fi bedroom rock, power pop and indie disco that makes up this charmingly goofy debut. Arriving on the back of a breakout 2021 for the pair thanks to viral hit single Chaise Longue and its ensuing singles last year, Wet Leg offers up more of the same sticky guitar licks and zingy quips that made for such an infectious cocktail on the band’s early hits, with no shortage of addictive garage jams on supply, as well as a host of other genres which the pair bounce effortlessly between throughout a zesty half hour and change. The band’s love of French disco shines on groovy highlights Wet Dream and Ur Mum, while there’s a sugary slice of bubblegum indie pop laced throughout the tracklist with Loving You and Piece Of Shit providing a nice contrast to the grungy hooks on punchy opener Being In Love and Angelica. According to Teasdale, the song that started it all was written in just one day while lounging on said chaise longue, and the entirety of Wet Leg carries the same spontaneous energy of its lead smash – Teasdale and Chambers’ real life friendship is joyously reflected in the charisma and wit that bursts throughout this debut, and the result is an undeniable blast. AL Father John Misty Chloe And The Next 20th Century [Bella Union] Those tuning in to hear the withering, embittered socio-political commentary that Joshua Tillman has made an art of in the past decade as Father John Misty may be astonished by the notoriously world weary troubadour’s new lust for life on his remarkable fifth album. Chloe And The Next 20th Century finds Misty breaking through his absurdist persona to craft the most sincere album of his career to date. Perhaps this change in tone will alienate some loyal Misty followers, but it would be hard for even the most jaded cynic to fault the glimmering beauty of Chloe’s inspired jazz compositions throughout a sumptuous 50 minutes that encompasses 20s Hollywood era jazz, cinematic big band, swing and bossanova as well as a couple of Nilsson-esque 70s folk ballads that find Tillman at his most unabashed and romantic. The classic Misty character pops up now and again, rearing his ugly head to remind us there’s still a dark side to Tillman that will never quite die, most notably on the ominous, industrial tinged outlier that closes the album on a pointedly unsettling note. Ultimately, this collection unveils a new side to Tillman that may be hard to believe but is most welcome on the basis of the quality songwriting and compositional work on display, throughout. It will be fascinating to see where Tillman goes next, but whether this is just the beginning of pastures anew or simply a curious anomaly in the discography of the folk star, Chloe is essential listening for fans of the always compelling cult figure. AL CLICK IT OUT… 46 We know it and so should you food, fashion, photography, film, books, magazines, music, design, drink and a curated section of events for you to consider www.totallydublin.ie