Song of the Week is our weekly column that spotlights the latest and greatest tracks each week. Find these new favorites and more on our Spotify Top Songs playlist, and for other great songs from emerging artists, check out our Spotify New Sounds playlist. This week, Fontaines D.C. return with the lead single to their upcoming album, Romance, “Starburster.”
Fontaines D.C. have come a long way since being boys from the better land. Their debut effort, Dogrel, while both promising and exciting, offered a relatively straightforward take on modern post-punk. With each subsequent release, though, the Irish act poked and prodded at the genre, folding in new influences and taking wilder and wilder swings. With their latest, the artsy, trip-hop-infused “Starburster,” Fontaines D.C. continue to turn the guitar music of their past on its head.
Serving as the lead single for their upcoming album, Romance, the ambition of “Starburster” is only matched by its writhing, anxious tone. With its saturated drums, fiery vocals, and wailing synth, it’s unsurprising that the tune originates from a panic attack frontman Grian Chatten experienced. It’s claustrophobic and, at times, intentionally overwhelming, especially with the sharp inhales of breath that help close out the song.
And yet — as if the band wanted to stop just short of inducing panic in the listener — just as the track seems like it is about to boil over, the clouds part, and a genuinely beautiful, string-backed bridge enters to ease the tension. Of course, it’s only a matter of time until the dread creeps back in.
It’s a remarkably well-constructed composition, one that pushes the band into new, unexpected places. Far from their early guitar-driven ragers like “Chequeless Reckless” or “A Hero’s Death,” “Starburster” uses the six-string as an accent more than anything. Instead, the percussion and hip-hop-esque production take center stage, successfully framing Fontaines D.C. as much more than just a gang of Irish rockers.
— Jonah Krueger
Editorial Coordinator