Mythology, poetry, hypnotism – discussing Skinty Fia and Fontaines DC at their very best
On a trip to Dublin this summer with my partner, they could not refrain from remarking ‘My friend Sally says she knows ya ‘in an exaggerated Irish accent every ten seconds. This was my first exposure to Irish five-piece Fontaines DC. Now, five months later I stand in the pit at their concert at the O2 Academy Leeds, and I can now call myself a fully-fledged fan of these post-punk poets. The age range is mixed, the haircuts are long and the pints are expensive. For the most part, the staggeringly merry crowd only want to hear the thudding music the band used to make – with one man leaving after remarking to his mates that he had heard the three songs he wanted to hear. I think these people are missing the point.
Since being delving into the band’s discography, Skinty Fia (2022) undeniably stands out. In many ways this album feels like an acceptance and a coming home to themselves as a band – wrapped up in the clever package of a complex poetic listening experience. With its brooding, gloomy imagery and winding lyrical metaphors, the album is almost hypnotic and is a deeply rich entry into their discography. It may not be the relentless high-tempo tracks that the band used to produce, and possibly not what the crowd at the O2 wanted to hear but for me, this is Fontaines DC at their very best, so far.
The band wears their ‘Irishness’ on their oversized and grungy striped sleeves, using it as an underlying subtextual tool throughout their discography thus far (and I suspect in their discography to come). The Dublin-natives now find themselves in a difficult position – they now reside in London due to their increasing musical success but have been plucked away from their homeland and all the sentimental comforts that come with it. In an interview with Rolling Stone, lead singer Grian Chatten, expressed the internal conflict that has arisen from his current residence in the “country that is responsible for a lot of the chaos in the country that [he’s] from, that still kind of looks down on that country”. The album opens with a track entitled ‘In ár gCroíthe go deo’, translating to an old Irish saying meaning ‘in our hearts forever’ – Ireland is a cloud that looms over the band at all times, clearly influencing their songwriting. Subsequently, (and in a way different to the band’s previous albums) the temporal context in which Skinty Fia finds itself both influences and propels the album – resulting in a complex, conflicted, layered and deeply emotive piece.
The band’s identity is intrinsically linked to their Irish heritage demonstrated by the affix of ‘DC’ (Dublin City) to their name – Ireland serves as a factor that unities the band in both matters of national pride and national shame. This is beautifully detailed in Skinty Fia’s Track 9 entitled ‘I Love You’. With lead singer Grian Chatten telling Daniel Kreps of Rolling Stone that the track is “the first overtly political song [the band has] written”, ‘I Love You’ presents lyrics that can easily be misinterpreted as a stalker’s tale of fixation from afar. Conversely, it is the band presenting a case for loving the land they came from, while simultaneously expressing distain for some of its historical actions.
The title Skinty Fia, in itself, is also undeniably Irish. The term “skinty fia” is used as a substitute for an expletive, translating to ‘the damnation of the deer’, invoking themes of Gaelic mythology and nature. The fact that the term is used as a substitute for an expletive expression may refer to censorship or allude to the stigma surrounding taboo subjects that Irish people do not speak of. This theme is carried through to the cover art which alludes to the extinct ‘great deer’ or Irish elk, which could perhaps be a reference to the ‘dying breed’ of those willing to interrogate their own heritage and wear it as a badge of honour and also a marker of shame.
Those who are fans of their older, more concise and jumpy pieces may not all be willing to buckle themselves in for the ride that is Skinty Fia, but in my opinion, it is well worth the trip. Instead of shying away from their multi-faceted heritage, Fontaines DC use it as a catalyst for their artistic process. Skinty Fia is equal parts bold, poetic, moody and beautiful – and significantly marks footsteps in ground that the band haven’t trod before.
Listen to Skinty Fia below:
