Fontaines DC: “Romance” Album Review

Trivia question! What album from 2024 perfectly encapsulates the feeling of washing down your fish n’ chips with a Guiness in a dimly lit pub with a cigarette and your lover by your side? If you guessed “Romance” by Fontaines DC, you would be correct (*cue the bruv date TikToks* iykyk). 

2024 was a great year for alternative music, but few artists were able to reach the level of excellence that was delivered by Fontaines DC’s new release, “Romance.” 

Sonically, the album gives us the classic Fontaines flair, but also introduces softer, orchestral melodies that separate this album from their first few. Both the guitar and vocals are reminiscent of the legacies of Britpop’s past, such as Oasis and Blur, while still keeping it authentic. 

Fontaines DC is blazing paths for Gen Z, and the album has an honest and positively chaotic quality to it that speaks to a generation that exhibits those qualities.

One thing that Fontaines consistently delivers is a catchy lyric, and this album is certainly no exception. The album delivers lines that will have you simultaneously thinking “wow that was deep, what the hell does that mean” and “wait that was kinda hilarious and direct.” Proceed with caution though–tracks such as “Starburster,” “Bug” and “Favourite” will easily get stuck in your head, and next thing you know you’ll be screaming in your car on volume 100 thinking no one can hear you (they can). 

While the junior album, “Skinty Fia” may have been the one that put Fontaines on the map, “Romance” is proving their place as an alternative rock band to pay attention to. “Romance” is already nominated for a 2025 Grammy, and I’m excited to see if the Academy thinks as highly of this masterpiece as I do. 

Favorite tracks: Starburster, Bug, Sundowner, Death Kink