Fontaines D.C. are an unlikely success story: it says something about the current cultural landscape that a plucky Irish post-punk outfit could come to headline Reading & Leeds fest, and so soon in their career at that! New album ‘Dopamine Chamber’ is a timely release, then, in more ways than one. Chatten and company’s latest project provides a frightening look at the alienation of the everyday.

‘Dopamine Chamber’ is a continuation of the murky alternative rock the band found success with on 2024’s ‘Romance,’ but it’s this second attempt that really sticks the landing— honestly, these songs make ‘In The Modern World’ sound like a demo. The group’s fifth record is unflinchingly dark and sinister, drenching characterful vocals and distant keyboards alike in so much reverb, you might as well be listening to the project in a tunnel beneath Dublin. Fontaines D.C. may search for solace in the chaos of our increasingly disconnected society, but this is more a testament to the journey than it is the destination: it’s telling that the band only manage to find peace in resignation on ‘One Man,’ here on a project shrouded in misfortune and uncertainty.

The record pulls ahead whenever Chatten and company keep you floating in the titular ‘Dopamine Chamber,’ living and dying by the superb atmosphere renowned producer James Ford has brought to the table— Fontaines D.C. don’t crank up the volume until ‘Happy For You,’ but they’re set on hooking you in from the off. ‘Tongue’ is cut from a similar cloth to runaway hit ‘Starburster,’ and the song’s desperate attempts to fight through its own hazy presentation are honestly quite thrilling. The climactic ending to ‘Six Shot Morning’ and the devilishly enticing chorus on lead single ‘Marianne’ are just some examples of the band’s ability to trade in their guitars for intriguing keyboard patches without losing even an ounce of mystique or intensity: the greatest asset at the record’s disposal is its ability to keep you chasing its far-off sounds.

That’s an interesting comment to make of a band like Fontaines D.C. though, who’s music has always revelled in its own simplicity— a cut like ‘Hurricane Laughter’ is a straight shot to the finish, after all, and the band’s punk roots remain seven years later. ‘Dopamine Chamber’ makes an unfortunate habit of exposing its own weak underbelly, as it does throughout the rather rudimentary ending afforded to ‘Mimesis:’ haunting closer ‘Intimate’ attempts a similarly repetitious ending, and the comparison does the former cut no favours. Looking past its clattering percussion and its tragic ideas of romance and disillusionment, the album is still quite cut-and-dry, despite its best attempts to disguise that very fact. The monotonous ‘Demolition’ and the rather drab ‘Japan’ see the mask really beginning to slip, and what lies beneath isn’t much to write home about.

Fontaines D.C. don’t have to play their cards close to their chest to draw you in, of course, but it’s remarkable how much more enthralling their work is when it manages to keep you guessing: even when Chatten is baring his soul to the world, a little intrigue goes a long way. ‘One Man’ is an obvious number to highlight for its wide-open orchestration alone, an element setting this introspective ballad far apart from the eery depths of, say, ‘Tongue’— it’s here, and on the ROSALÍA-featuring ‘Where Is Gone?,’ that Fontaines D.C. finally seem to be aware of the scale of their own success. They’ve already proven their chops as a reputable post-punk outfit, and then hinted at some broader artistic vision on ‘Romance.’ ‘Dopamine Chamber’ only further capitalises on that revelation, and leaves the door open for something truly special further down the road.

This is a huge step forward for Chatten and company, a band truly beginning to thrive in the spotlight: if their previous project was a shaky testing of the waters, they’re now diving straight in at last. The Irish crew are unhappy with the state of the world— really, who isn’t— but it’s the sinister guise through which they’re expressing that frustration that makes them so interesting. We can only hope the enthralling crawl of ‘Intimate’ is a sign of things to come.