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Dogrel Image
Metascore
86

Universal acclaim - based on 17 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.2

Universal acclaim- based on 77 Ratings

  • Summary: The debut full-length release for the Irish indie rock band was produced and mixed by Dan Carey.
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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 17
  2. Negative: 0 out of 17
  1. 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. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. May 10, 2019
    80
    They're smart, clueless, and ready to take the festival circuit by storm.
  6. 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]
  7. 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]

See all 17 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 11
  2. Negative: 1 out of 11
  1. Jun 28, 2019
    10
    Kick-ass debut album from Dublin City. One of the best in 2019 so far. Highly recommended post punk record
  2. May 3, 2019
    10
    simply one of the best albums of 2019 yet. it's like a shining star in this music industry garbage.
  3. Aug 6, 2019
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Near perfect debut. Roaring guitars, pounding bass and lyrics that take you on a journey through Dublins fading present Expand
  4. Jun 14, 2020
    9
    Gritty debut album that makes me feel nostalgic about a city I've never been to. Seems to give a very down to earth impression of what life isGritty debut album that makes me feel nostalgic about a city I've never been to. Seems to give a very down to earth impression of what life is like growing up in Ireland, with poetic lyricism mixed with driving guitars and drums to create a very intense sound. Best tracks are Hurricane Laughter, Liberty Belle, and Chequeless Reckless Expand
  5. 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. Expand
  6. Aug 31, 2019
    7
    This is a solid debut album, but there is awful lot of filler for an album as highly praised as this one. Not one of the year's best albums,This is a solid debut album, but there is awful lot of filler for an album as highly praised as this one. Not one of the year's best albums, but leaves me looking forward to what they do next. Expand
  7. Apr 21, 2022
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. There is one moment of real greatness here. Boys in the Better Land will be blaring out of rock mixes for years to come. Expand

See all 11 User Reviews

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