Dopamine Chamber – Review
I usually get very nervous for an album release like Fontaines D.C.’s newest album, Dopamine Chamber, which came out last Friday. It’s really easy to gain anticipation for a release when singles like “Marianne” and “Tongue” come out. I tried not to get my hopes up because the singles before an album are usually the only ones that stick out to me.
It’s safe to say that my nerves were eased when I listened to the release. Fontaines D.C. took a risk, and it paid off, making this their best album yet.
The album steps in a different direction for the band, making it very different from their last release, Romance in 2024. It has less of that The Stone Roses or Arctic Monkeys sound of their album, Skinty Fia, and more of something heavier in electronic and synth.
However, their actual voice isn’t drowned out by the new sound; I would argue it amplifies them as a band. Better than Romance and, honestly, Skinty Fia, which has been coined as their peak in song production.
However, in 2022, with their wide success from Skinty Fia, there were still some indications in their tracks that they had room to blend better as a collective group. Dopamine Chamber is a clear look at where and how they want to grow.
Fontaines D.C. is more known for their post-punk, angsty, and guitar-driven music, which is perfectly demonstrated in their records, but things slowly took a turn with Romance. Although many tracks now may seem mainstream or “appeasing the masses”, it’s not disingenuous in any way. You can tell it’s what they wanted to do at the time, and they just did it.
Romance also showed a lot of songwriting development with clever lyrics and cinematic melodies. Dopamine Chamber takes their growth to the next level.
The entire album is telling a story, and a very indecisive one at that.
I recommend listening while driving. I listened to the 46 minutes on my commute back from work while it was raining at 9 pm on a Saturday; it really set the mood for this album.
I think the best way to describe this record is “Do you hate them or do you miss them?” Many of the songs play important parts in how indecisive, addictive, and draining love can be. It is a breakup album in my opinion, but not one in a way that is directly related to a specific kind of falling out.
At the beginning, the track “Six Shot Morning” sets a mood of indecisiveness. The song has lyrics less about love and more about devastation in the world. It has an almost post-dystopian sound, which sets the mood for the rest of the album.
The term “Do you hate them or do you miss them?” in my opinion fits this album in the best way possible. The songs flop between loving and yearning, then to anger and bitterness. But it’s important to be aware that this album isn’t a traditional breakup album.
Dopamine Chamber grapples with the disconnection of a relationship and from reality. The lyrics contain something much deeper than a traditional who did who wrong equation.
Songs like “Happy for You” and “Demolition” are two sides of the same coin- reality. The reality of a situation, whether you can grow from a situation or be destroyed by it, is a choice. Fontaines D.C. shows that emotions come in waves, not just cycles.
The album hits different than others of the same genre because of its raw lyrics and sound. Because, of course, your natural reaction to a breakup or losing something is anger, but the love doesn’t disappear right away; it manifests.
The album isn’t mourning something in the past; it’s frustration. Not wanting to let go of something you should. The end tracks, “Japan” and “Intimate,” almost symbolize moving on or a rebirth.
However, it’s not a really happy ending.
[Once inside, you’re gonna help me navigate this broken heart
Before you, the ruins of the human dream
Colorful ending, so pretty in the final scene] – lyrics from “Intimate”.
It shows that the story is ending, but they are not happy about it. It’s honestly a breath of fresh air to have such a dynamic and multidimensional story within an album.
My top three tracks are “Six Shot Morning”, “Demolition” and “Mimesis”.
The nods to Romance in “Tongue” and “Intimate” were really nice to hear. The track “Where is Gone” featuring ROSALíA was a direct reference to the first song in Skinty Fia, “In ár gCroíthe go deo”.
Overall, Fontaines D.C. outdid themselves with Dopamine Chamber, and it will be exciting to see what they do next.
Liam Gallagher may not think Fontaines D.C. is good enough to open for Oasis, but this album is proof they don’t need support from others to be recognized.