Last Friday, Irish rock band Fontaines D.C. released their fifth album Dopamine Chamber. While you may not be familiar with them, it’s possible that you’ve heard their most popular song “I Love You” as a TikTok or Instagram audio.
Dopamine Chamber has a dark, apocalyptic, and sometimes dreamy sound to it. The album is almost reminiscent of some songs by The Cure such as “Fascination Street” and “Warsong” but it remains novel. In my opinion, it’s the current capstone of Fontaines D.C.’s discography, combining the dramatically desolate sound of Skinty Fia with the colors of Romance‘s album cover. Throughout the album, photographs, dreams, and death are prominent motifs, making the listener think about illusion and reality. Every song on Dopamine Chamber is incredibly unique, and it’s impossible to fully tackle all 11 songs in one review. With that in mind, here’s a brief cover of some of the songs in the album.
Dopamine Chamber opens with “Six Shot Morning,” instantly setting the tone for the album. The song isn’t slow, but it still has a solemn, melancholy sound, emphasized by the refrain of “melancholy hearts in a motion film” throughout the song.
My favorite song is the second track, “Marianne.” This song was released early in August, and it’s been on repeat for me since then. It has the dark sound characteristic of its album, but it also manages to be dreamlike and otherworldly at the same time, which is different from the depression of “Six Shot Morning.”
Another track in Dopamine Chamber, “Where Is Gone?” features Spanish pop star ROSALÍA. This is the first time that Fontaines D.C. has collaborated with another artist on a song, and the harmony between her and their frontman, Grian Chatten, is beautiful to listen to.
The final song in the album is “Intimate.” This song follows the mood of the album, most notably by the chorus consisting of the repeating lines “Dying and dying and dead / Dying and dying and dying and dead.” It’s a dramatic conclusion to an amazing album.
Dopamine Chamber is a unique and beautiful album that makes the dark sound dangerously appealing. If you liked Dopamine Chamber, I recommend listening to Fontaines D.C.’s album Skinty Fia, especially the songs “Bloomsday” and “Big Shot.” If you’re rich and have free time, they’re currently touring around the world and have amazing live performances, with many sold-out concerts across Europe and also in the United States of America, Mexico, and Canada.