Photo of Fontaines D.C. by Elizaveta Porodina
I honestly can’t tell you how many times I’ve listened to this album in the 10 days I’ve had it. Twenty? Thirty? More? I do know that every song is perfect, and that Dopamine Chamber should be at the top of everyone’s Top 10 lists of 2026. This is the sound of an extremely talented band finding its home, offering its heart and soul on a vinyl platter.
The 11 songs on Fontaines D.C.’s fifth studio offering are an early Christmas gift to music fans. The album begins with “Six Shot Morning,” a calm, insinuatingly catchy track fully representative of the band: meaningful, repetitive lyrics, a mishmash of sounds and instruments, and an earworm groove that will have you humming all day. Next up is “Marianne,” the first song Fontaines D.C. teased on Spotify. Its sultry punk vibe suggests familiarity while inviting repetition.
“Mimesis” hearkens back to 1980s shoegaze-rock (à la Jesus and Mary Chain), a time when artists were exploring and introducing genres and left-of-the-dial listeners couldn’t bob their heads enough. It’s familiar, comforting, yet fresh, driven by Grian Chatten’s signature vocals and lyrics and the spot-on musical accompaniment of the band: Conor Curley, Carlos O’Connell, Conor Deegan, and Tom Coll. The band meanders a little more on “Happy for You.” You’re already hooked; why not see where the song goes? Mellow and even swells before a return to message: “Of all of the people, I want you to know me/Reality does not pay.”
“Demolition” is simultaneously driving, smoldering, and intense. Chatten wrestles with belonging and power, finally admitting, “Had the prettiest day/If you want me I’ll stay.” On “One Man,” Chatten makes a case for his inability to do everything his partner desires. It’s a quiet, earnest song, one that speaks an almost-’70s calm until the yearning hits home. (It’s also the song that gives the album its name.)
Up next is “Where Is Gone?” a duet with Spanish singer Rosalía. I’ll admit: I’m not drawn to female singers. I find many of their voices sound the same, and I more readily hear the distinctions in the male timbre. The first time the song played, I viewed it as the only weak point in an otherwise solid album. The second time, I skipped it midway through. But the third time— I got it. I embraced it. I loved it. “Where Is Gone?” has the throwback feel of atmospheric lounge songs; I immediately thought of Luna. Rosalía’s voice is sultry, the perfect contrast to Chatten’s straightforward delivery.
“Did You Miss Me” is an even song, a quiet burner driving itself into your listening brain. “Japan” follows, a straightforward pop-rock song that tells a gentle, yet piercing story: Boy uses girl, girl puts up with it; there’s no resolution. The album closes with “Intimate”—although if you’re like me, “Intimate” leads back into “Six Shot Morning” amid repeated listens. It’s a dreary song reminiscent of the Damned, with Chatten droning on repeat, “Dying and dying and dead.” This one’s a slow burner, always smoldering beneath the surface without release.
I wanted to save “Tongue” for last, although it appears smack-dab in the middle of the album. I am not exaggerating when I say it is perfect. I thought that immediately upon hearing it when it dropped on Spotify, and repeated listens have only made me more certain—and more obsessive. The song has everything: a driving beat, repetition and questioning, unexpected sounds and vocals, and nonstop questioning. “Am I allowed to say it if nobody’s gonna listen?” Chatten continues to ask, wanting to tell the truth but finding no ears to hear. The song worms its way into your being, engaging you in the lyrics and music, the creepy, high-pitched background vocals, the tempo and progression. I dare you to listen and not put it on repeat. Trust me when I say this is the most perfect song you will hear all year.
Fun fact: I discovered Fontaines D.C. through a snippet of an article in which Elton John proclaimed them the best band in the world. Although I respect Elton John, I am not a fan. I don’t even know where I managed to read that. But it began what will now be a lifelong love with this Irish quintet who have owned so many of my listening hours in the past couple of years. With Dopamine Chamber, I don’t see that dropping off anytime soon. | Laura Hamlett Schlater
