Dogrel
by Fontaines D.C.
  • Record Label: PTKF
  • Release Date: Apr 12, 2019
Metascore
86

Universal acclaim - based on 17 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 17
  3. Negative: 0 out of 17
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  1. musicOMH.com
    Apr 17, 2019
    100
    Fontaines DC wear their influences close to their sleeve, with nods to The Pogues, The Strokes and Joy Division, but these influences are absorbed into their identity, to create something that instantly familiar and accessible, but also thrillingly compelling. ... They’re going to be big, and one listen to Dogrel will convince you of that fact.
  2. The Skinny
    Apr 16, 2019
    100
    Everything about Dogrel feels big, intense, bold.
  3. The Guardian
    Apr 12, 2019
    100
    This is the kind of songwriting quality that bands can take years to reach, or never reach at all: brilliant, top to bottom.
  5. New Musical Express (NME)
    Apr 11, 2019
    100
    These five Dublin lads prove their talent for painting in far more colours than just blacks and greys, and Fontaines D.C. have proved their worth as one of guitar music’s most essential new voices.
  6. Clash Music
    Apr 11, 2019
    90
    Dublin in the rain belongs to Fontaines D.C., and rather than being too real this album is just right, it is a ragged delivery. The trick lies in the seemingly un-filtered rawness combined with its stark poetic reality. The three components help secure this album’s position as an example of authenticity; authenticity in its most concentrated and truest form and expression.
  7. DIY Magazine
    Apr 9, 2019
    90
    Fontaines DC have crafted a clear, unedited picture of who they are and what they’re made of. It’s a joy to witness.
  8. Under The Radar
    Apr 16, 2019
    85
    This is the sound of vitality; of authenticity and ambition; of style, substance, and swagger all packed in to 35 minutes of vulnerable, honest pop music that is weighted with melancholy, yet buoyed by youthful vigor and touched, perhaps, by genius.
  9. The Line of Best Fit
    Apr 8, 2019
    85
    Dogrel is evocative, meticulous and rich in a love for the character of Dublin, and all the little things that, past and present, contribute to that.
  10. Paste Magazine
    Apr 18, 2019
    83
    Dogrel is an album of tremendous ardor and vivid landscapes, and interspersed with an Irish underdog spirit, Fontaines D.C. are nearly untouchable.
  11. AllMusic
    Jun 26, 2019
    80
    Although it paints a picture that best fits a degraded postcard, it's relatable in its own earnest way with a poetic air and a sense of urgency.
  12. No Ripcord
    May 10, 2019
    80
    They're smart, clueless, and ready to take the festival circuit by storm.
  13. Pitchfork
    Apr 17, 2019
    80
    Fontaines D.C. are fueled by neither IDLES revolutionary fervor nor Shame’s festering disgust. They’re not raging against the current state of affairs as much as lamenting the local communities and culture in danger of being steamrolled by the march of modernity. As such, Fontaines D.C. are very much a post-punk band reclaiming a certain pre-punk innocence.
  14. Q Magazine
    Apr 8, 2019
    80
    By striving to find romance and poetry in grim times, Fontaines D.C. have made a record to fall in love with. [May 2019, p.113]
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  15. Mojo
    Apr 8, 2019
    80
    It's all propelled by an energy exclusive to debut albums, the five-piece pulsing with post-punk fervour. [May 2019, p.89]
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  16. The 405
    Apr 18, 2019
    75
    For the most part, the album sears with sharp-witted tales of urban life set to a tense and restrained musical background but there is a waning of the insistent energy towards the album’s end.
  17. PopMatters
    Dec 2, 2019
    70
    Post-punk has new blood coursing through its veins, transcendently authentic, and boisterously good. You'll want to give Dogrel a listen.
  18. Uncut
    Apr 8, 2019
    60
    Musically, it's not exactly mould-shattering, a blend of surf and chirpy indie rock. They're at their most effective when they deliberately fray the edges. [May 2019, p.29]
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Awards & Rankings

28
#28 Best Album of 2019
24
#24 Most Shared Album of 2019

User Reviews

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User Score
8.2

Universal acclaim- based on 77 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 70 out of 77
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 77
  3. Negative: 4 out of 77
  1. Marcbackman
    Apr 12, 2019
    9
    Having lived in Dublin for a few years, I can say with confidence that this album from Fontaines DC effortlessly exudes the gritty underdogHaving lived in Dublin for a few years, I can say with confidence that this album from Fontaines DC effortlessly exudes the gritty underdog vibe of the city to a tee. With lines like "And the radio is all about a runaway model with a face like sin and a heart like a James Joyce novel", the album feels similar to Joyce's Dubliners/Ulysses as a piece of art that directly channels the energy of a place and transmutes it into a new form. The band aren't doing anything particularly "new" with their post-punk sound—it's a standard guitar driven style with conversational lyrical delivery ala The Fall—yet the Irish accented vocals and pure narrative that is delivered with gusto about the city itself send this album into fresh new territory. The greyness, the rain, the catholic past that a new generation of Irish are trying to wash off their skin, and small childhoods with big futures—it's all here and it's a joy to hear Dublin personified like this.… Full Review »
  2. Ricko
    Aug 14, 2019
    9
    While Fontaines DC are a breath of fresh air in the Irish mainstream music scene, it must be said that we have seen this before. Noone seemsWhile Fontaines DC are a breath of fresh air in the Irish mainstream music scene, it must be said that we have seen this before. Noone seems to be mentioning the great Whipping Boy of the 90's as the precursors to these lads. Fontaines are bit more punk than rock but cant believe the similarities are being highlighted more. Another band that comes to mind are Cork punks (again of the 90's) Sultans of Ping. Regardless, these lads are the real deal and you know they must be good when every other band in Ireland hates their guts. The amount of vitriol directed in these lads direction from the general Irish scene is usually saved for Bono an his buds. To the album itself and the music, yes, believe the hype, its really good. The Dubilin (sic) accent might grate for some after awhile but its what makes the album stand out so much and is the perfect foil of the excellent, brooding post punk music that accompanies it. The songs are very strong and incredibly mature for a debut album. This is a tip of the hat as much to Shane Macgowan as it is to the likes of Sex Pistols and Joy Division. The common thread is a rallying against what is expected. One of the most memorable albums of 2019 and I look forward to seeing what these guys do next. They could go anywhere with their sound and their potential is immense.… Full Review »
  3. Bmccormick40
    May 6, 2019
    4
    Not outright bad, and that's a problem. I would have preferred bad to simply boring. Dogrel is an album that, at best, offers a glimmer ofNot outright bad, and that's a problem. I would have preferred bad to simply boring. Dogrel is an album that, at best, offers a glimmer of something better, bigger, maybe original, but can't quite stumble its way out of the dark. It feels frustratingly limited, in every sense of the word.

    Fontaines DC make general stabs in several directions, and at least they ape some good bands while doing so. Roy's Tune sounds like the most insipid song The Smiths never got around to making fronted by Parquet Court's Andrew Savage at his most ambivalent and deadpan. Hurricane Laughter seems to slouch in the direction of Viagra Boys or Protomartyr, but lacks the clever sneer of the former and the resigned anger of the latter. The song gets stuck in a four-note sequence from which it can't escape; all bones and no meat.

    Even Too Real, perhaps the most likeable tune here, wrings dissonance, impotent guitar theatrics, and non-key vocals for all they're worth, effectively turning what could have been original elements into more pastels in the band's arsenal full of them. When you realize singer Grian Chatten is asking over and over, "Is it too real for yaaa?" it makes you want to respond in the affirmative, and plead with him to get some imagination.

    It doesn't help that Chatten closely toes the line of insouciant indie rock cliche: Is he a singer who just isn't bothered by the way the syllables are coming out of his mouth or is it a case of no **** given as shorthand for "cool?" It disappoints me to have to pose that question.    … Full Review »
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