Dogrel

I haven’t listened in a long time and was happily surprised at how well an already great album aged. Love the TS Eliot reference in Too Real. Thanks for adding.

Great album by a great band

One of most inventive debut albums in recent times. They have become a bit predictable since then, but this one sounded so new and so cool

This really grew on me over the course of the album. I think it was Roy's Tune that really got me. It's what I like about most Irish punk/post-punk - the emotion, the authenticity, the plaintiveness, the simple beauty. 4 stars.

At first I was thinking this was going to be a meh listen of some modern post-punk… at least on the first song. By Too Real my interest piqued more - really started to dig this band. I liked Television Screens and Hurricane Laughter as much and my feelings for this band were warming up. Roy’s Tune took things in a very different direction - and when it ended I repeated the song right then. Really nice song and quite unexpected. The rest of the album was really great! Liberty Belle and Boys in a Better Land are fantastic. Then the very Irish-tinged closer Dublin City Sky brought this home in another unexpected but fantastic way. What a terrific album!

I have a bad habit of getting super into an artist's recent releases without checking out the rest of their discography. Case in point, 'Skinty Fia' was one of my 2022 albums of the year, but I didn't even bother to listen to the rest of Fontaines D.C.'s albums. Glad this came up, then, as it was great to hear the band in a more exploratory, rock-focused period in their nascent years. The basis of each track is solid modern rock, but there's a certain (and now characteristic) bleak energy the band manages to infuse that makes it feel as if they're accepting the end of the world with a shrug. Maybe it's Grian Chatten's deadpan delivery, or the tight, almost post-punk guitar lines, but in any case, it's a niche that Fontaines have clearly carved for themselves and one they continue to solely occupy. Coupled with the slightly gritty production and constant (but not overwhelming) use of reverb, there's a real sense of space and occupancy that gives this LP a genuine feeling of being lived in day in and day out. Always wild to hear bands burst onto the scene nearly fully formed, and while not every track hits (and there is a certain sense of tonal exhaustion by the end), this was a great listen to understand where the band has built from.

Rating: 10/10

I actually saw Fontaines DC on the "Joy As An Act of Resistance" tour with Idles. Looking back (a lot longer than I realized), what a lineup. Idles at the height of their power, and Fontaines on the rise. I was impressed with them then, and it's been nice to see them catch so much fire in the releases following. I don't think this is a perfect album by any stretch, there's definitely some fat to trim, but as for debuts go, it's impressive. It may be a bit indebted to the classics: gothic post-punk a la The Cure ("The Lotts"), The Clash ("Sha Sha Sha"). Great writing, great riffs. Favorite tracks: "Hurricane Laughter", "Boys In The Better Land", "Sha Sha Sha"

Now we're talking. A quite extraordinary debut, which will surely be remembered as a "classic" of that late 2010s / early 2020s "crank wave" era, which helped revitalizing that late seventies / early eighties post-punk sound. Grian Chatten's vocal timbre and performance are the most frequent contentious points addressed by people who don't like this band, and if I can understand where that criticism comes from on a purely "technical" level, I just can't "get" it on an emotional one. Grian's voice, his peculiar sprechgesang diction, and his deep Irish accent are the elements that make Fontaines D.C. so distinctive and memorable on first listens. The most blatant evidence of this is that the band has evolved into a quite different rock act today, and yet they still remain themselves. And a lot of it is owing to Grian. I love many things about this album. First it's tied to a specific place, Dublin (the "D" in "D.C."), with songs exploring how its working class population lives or survives there, or how the city is being gentrified in other parts, forcing said working classes out and threatening the city's very soul. Much has been said about the Irish literary references influencing the band here (James Joyce's name being mentioned at some point, of course -- literary references the Fontaines have since somewhat distanced themselves from, admittedly). But even if the story was also used for promotional blurbs, those particular undertones do fit with the music styles being explored within this debut -- drawing from Irish pub rock almost as much as it draws from indie-rock or post-punk. You just can't fake that sort of authenticity or sensibility. The Irish band does a lot with very few things -- some simple and catchy melodic lines on echoey guitars, some very driven moments with a "live" feel, some witty catchphrases here and there (I always fall for "There is no connection available" in "Hurricane Laughter", lol)-- and this sense of economy is probably what makes the result sound so heartfelt and spontaneous, with the help of Dan Carey's simple-yet-deep-and-effective production values. Less is more, here, most definitely. I also love how the record builds up towards the best songs found on its second side. My most beloved albums often work like that, and those are specific dynamics that work so well in an album format. Not that the songs on the first side are not already iconic or excellent themselves. Short and raucous "Big" is a thrilling opener for instance, perfectly summarizing the album's overall themes and intent in less than two minutes. "My childhood was small / But I'm gonna be big" is just a memorable mini-chorus, c'mon! "Sha Sha Sha" is a tongue-in-cheek rendition of what an *Irish* surf-rock tune should feel like. "Too Real" and "Hurricane Laughter", just like "Chequeless Reckless" on the second side, are wild and driven cuts whose obsessive linearity pushes the music into motorik turf as much as into surf-rock. "Television Screens" is conversely a melodic indie-rock gem whose clear-eyed pop songwriting has always been underestimated by most (including by the bands themselves, given that they didn't often play it live). Grian suddenly *singing* here after three sprechgesang cuts always gets me. And the transition between the two sides delves into slower, moodier, more melancholic cuts "Roy's Tune" and "The Lotts" -- simple songs, once again, but so moving and evocative -- especially the latter Joy Division/The Cure-adjacent cut . But the real highlights and the most endearing moments are to be found at the very end of the LP: They're "Liberty Belle" and "Boys In The Better Land", whose infectious choruses and witty one-liners give such a timeless feel to the lively compositions, as if those perfect songs had always been around. It's as if legendary acts from the past going from The Velvet Underground to The Clash or The Fall were whispering to the Fontaines' ears here. "Is it easyyyyy? / Just to try it? / Is it the same old liiiiiii-iiiiiii-iiiiiie?". Or "If you're a rock star, pornstar, Superstar -- doesn't matter what you are -- get yourself a good car and get out of here!". So good. After that, waltzy "Dublin City Sky" feels like an elegant homage to local heroes The Pogues, almost a rip-off actually, but that closer is just pitch-perfect given everything that has happened before. This, kiddies, is how you write a debut for the ages. Just like that other reviewer, I saw Fontaines DC on the "Joy As An Act of Resistance" tour with Idles. Idles were indeed at the height of their power, and Fontaines were on the rise -- still a little stage-shy compared to the second time I saw them live, but those unobtrusive manners actually brought a tremendous charm to their performance. And I also remember twenty minutes of pure noise jam madness when the two bands played together at the end of their set. A lovely memory for sure. You may think all this has influenced my grading a little. Maybe it did, I don't know. Yet I wouldn't grade each and any one of the band's four albums this high. And even if I had not seen them live (or interviewed their drummer -- a story I won't delve into here), you can bet your Pogues boots this album would still receive full marks from me. This here is an LP that is undoubtedly pivotal for a whole genre and scene. As the original list is reputedly out of touch with current "rock" trends starting with the 2010s (not to mention other genres), the karma balance does need to be set right again, doesn't it? Now who wants to add one of the first two Idles albums to this users list so as to tip it further in the right direction? Please? 5/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums. 10/10 for more general purposes (5 + 5) Number of albums from the original list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 465 Albums from the original list I *might* include in mine later on: 288 Albums from the original list I won't include in mine: 336 ---- Number of albums from the users list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 12 (including this one) Albums from the users list I *might* select for mine later on: 16 Albums from the users list I won't select for mine: 27

I was skeptical of another post-punk, but the Dubliner grit added a little something that elevates the record.

The Irish Protomartyr.

A cracker of a début, although anyone not Irish, Scottish, or Welsh may need a bit of time to catch on with the lyrics. Full of energy and attitude, and a band who have gone from strength to strength since it came out. A brilliant suggestion, which falls juuuuuuust short of full marks in my opinion.

Hmmm 3

I was surprised that this post-punk record came out in 2019, it sounds more like something you would hear in the 80s or 90s. It doesn't really do much for me though

This sure was an album I listened to

7/10. Worth a relisten when I've got time to appreciate the songwriting. This run through all I really got out of this was that they were Irish and they sounded pretty good

Energy.

Nice and unique style. Good album

Gotta love that thick Irish accent! I know I do. Although this isn't their strongest album (I like the two that came after even more) this debut album already showed the signs of what was to come next.

This was resoundingly great. No notes!

Not a bad debut. The influence here is primarily 2000s British alternative/indie rock but there is a nice punk influence in there as well. There were moments that sounded very much like the Clash.

New for me. My kind of music though. 2019, Post-Punk Standouts: Too Real, Big, 3.75

Enjoyed this, had a raw feel to it .3.7

A little Billy Bragg, a little of The Pogues, some Stiff Little Fingers, but from 2019? I liked it!

I was between ho-hum and not-so-bad for this album.

A good, nay, great relisten

Fantastic post-punk album of Fontaines D.C. Best songs: Boys in the Better Land, Too Real.

So many hints of their antecedents! The vocal delivery sounds a bit like I, Ludicrous. The music has nods towards New Order. Like many other reviewers have opined, this is a grower. Not something I'd have stuck with without the framework of this project, and I'm quite glad that I did towards the end of The Lotts. Liberty Belle is a hoot.

Really enjoyed this. A couple of great songs at the end

This is really cool.

Yes Fontaine's DC! I really need to explore them more but this was a riot. I understand their popularity. Fun but gritty

Post punk

Dogrel's city is one colder and more lively than the one I'm used to; Should be a winner. The vocal attack owes much to punk, and proceeds in jagged time over the more complicated, less repetitive instruments. The album soundtracks a journey, not as compelling as, say, the Arctic Monkeys, but more honest and less drenched in nostalgia.

It has a couple very solid tracks and overall is a very enjoyable record, I see why some people would fall in love with this. But for me, it's having a hard time standing out from the crowd, both its contemporaries and the 2000's post punk revivalists it draws from.

It's like a post-punk Bloc Party. Not bad at all. Fun structures, almost moves closer to punk than post-punk for me, really. I want it to be a little bit more raw like older post-punk a la Talking Heads, The Fall, etc. Idk just a bit more clean than I would like, but not bad at all.

Interesting indie sound

Post-punk hit a whole lotta years before 2019 and I'm not sure this is bringing anything much new to the table. The music was decent, the lyrics interesting, but I had a hard time getting past the vocals - that nearly monotone UK Oy Oy Oy yawp.

Dogrel is a cool name

Interesting enough album, sounds like something that might have come out 25 years earlier. Make what you will of that. Vocals frequently fall flat. Fave Songs: Too Real, Television Screens, Sha Sha Sha, Hurricane Laughter

This was a pretty solid album. Not sure if I’d call it a punk album. There were only a couple of songs that felt somewhat punk and also I actually liked it compared to most punk albums. Maybe it’s modern punk then because some of the songs were more typical to a indie rock. The Irish accent in the songs actually made it stronger and gave it some character in the story. Overall I’d revisit it and good choice. 7.0/10

I felt they were a bit over hyped, and that his voice grates a bit after a while (it is very front and centre). But it was decent still

Pretty decent punk rock... on the television screen...

This was just as uninteresting to me as all of the main list post punk albums except this one doesn’t sound like it was recorded in a basement with radio shack equipment, which makes it lose what little charm it could’ve had.

I agree fontaines D.C. should be on the list, and I appreciate their music, but personally the vocals especially on this album just grates on me, I can’t seem to add them to my frequent rotation.

I actually really enjoyed this. Raw but not naked. Loved the accents.

Honestly, their hearts appear to be in the right place, the ingredients are all there, but I can't get my head around why people are so devoted to them. They're a good band. Maybe they're the best right now of a weak pack?

Shouty man shouts

Ah, Fontaines D.C. Thought this was a K-Pop band for the longest time for some godforsaken reason. It's a pretty good post-punk record. Nothing mindblowing, but it gets the job done with some really thick Irish accents. 3/5.

This was fun and unique, I’d give it a 3.5.

I should love them more than I do.

Well, I hear this band a lot on various radiostations. But it is just not for me. Too British and the vocals annoy me just too much.

Would have been higher but that accent is appalling

The current darlings of the “indie” music world and they tick the box of youthful thoughtful rock, but only Boys In The Better Land is actually any good. Also seems strange to do spoken word delivery when the final song, Dublin City Sky, shows the singer has a passable singing voice. Overall I’m disappointed. Emperor’s New Clothes - again.

Nothing special

I didn't like the voice and most of the songs were too similar.

Post-punk. Ni fu ni fa. Pues no, mira. Al final es taaaan tostón y repetitivo que le doy un 2.

If it was an instrumental it would be a really good post-punk record, but I just can't get past the vocal. Blur (confidence is a preference for the habitual voyeur of what is known as...) x Partridge (ders more to Oireland, dan dis) = This record. Rating: 2 Playlist track: Too Real Date listened: 25/09/24

Doesn't do much for me. If Billy Bragg was a bit more rock-punk and wasn't very melodic (more spoken lyrics), this is what I think you'd get. There wasn't much that engaged me, and grew a bit boring by the end.

Byrjar ágætlega en dregur svo úr.

Dogrel reminds me a bit of what Dropkick Murphys sounded like when Mike McColgan was their lead singer before Al Barr, and if they were a little less aggressive/in your face. To me it's a disappointing sound, too much post-punk than punk or punk rock, some of it's alright, Too Real is the best effort in getting towards a sound I enjoy, but really only a 2/5 overall.

So overrated

The music is neither here nor there, but I had an instant negative reaction to that voice. So much so that the music started annoying me too. 1/5 terrible. (Sorry bud, I know you probably love it and hope everyone else does too. But yeesh)