Fontaines D.C. Release ‘Dopamine Chamber,’ With Rosalía on Their First-Ever Duet
The Dublin band’s fifth album arrived Friday. NME called them the definitive band of the decade.
Fontaines D.C. put out a new album Friday. “Dopamine Chamber,” their fifth studio record, arrived on XL Recordings with 11 tracks produced by James Ford.
The Dublin band keeps moving away from the guitars-first post-punk of their early records. The new one goes darker — cold synthesizers, electronic rhythms, cinematic arrangements. The unease never really lifts.
“Marianne” is the lead single. “Where Is Gone?” pairs frontman Grian Chatten with Rosalía in what NME called “a lovelorn Morricone meets Bond theme ballad.” It is the first time the band has recorded a song with another artist.
Ford produced their last album too. “Romance,” from 2024, earned the band a Grammy nomination and pushed them into bigger rooms. “Dopamine Chamber” goes further down the path it started.
Critics are mostly impressed. NME called the band the definitive act of the decade and the album an extraordinary record. The Metacritic average sits at 84 across 17 reviews. Not everyone is sold — Slant and Paste scored it in the 50s.
The band launched the record Thursday with a charity show at London’s Roundhouse, a 3,300-capacity gig for the mental health charity CALM.
Next comes a European arena tour, starting October 21 in Lisbon and running into November with London’s O2 on the itinerary. Next year scales up: stadium dates including a headline show at Slane Castle in Ireland.
