Skinty Fia
studio
ArtistFontaines D.C.
CoverFontaines D.C. - Skinty Fia.png
Released22 April 2022
Recorded2021
Genre
Length44:52
LabelPartisan
ProducerDan Carey
Prev year2020
Next year2024

Skinty Fia is the third studio album by Irish rock band Fontaines D.C. It was released on 22 April 2022 via Partisan Records. Like the band's two previous albums – 2019's Dogrel and 2020's A Hero's Death – Skinty Fia was produced by Dan Carey.[2] Its title refers to an old Irish saying that drummer Tom Coll's great-aunt used to say; the phrase "Skinty Fia" translates to "the damnation of the deer". Both the title and the cover art allude to the extinct Irish elk, also known as the "giant deer".[3][4]

Skinty Fia became the band's first number-one album in both Ireland and the UK.[5][6] It reached number two in the Netherlands, and also placed in the top 10 of Belgium, France, Germany and Switzerland.

The album garnered the band a win for the Brit Award for International Group at the 2023 Brit Awards and a nomination for Album of the Year at the Choice Music Prize for the year 2022.[7][8]

Background and recording

The band released their second album A Hero's Death in July 2020 and embarked on a tour, which had been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, to support it. Plans for the third album began in the band's hometown of Dublin during the COVID-19 lockdowns, where they began sharing and recording demos.[9] Chatten was inspired by an accordion gifted to him by his mother for Christmas, realising "that that was an interesting place for me to go on the next record" despite his lack of experience with the instrument.[3] They were also inspired by the Primal Scream album XTRMNTR (2000) and the drum and bass artist Roni Size, wanting to "[recreate] electronic sounds with guitars", according to guitarist Carlos O'Connell.[10]

Recording for Skinty Fia took place in 2021 in London with regular producer Dan Carey. The songs were written during the day, which Chatten deemed a healthy and structured process, and recorded at night to create a level of uncertainty.[3]

Composition

The opening track "In ár gCroíthe go deo" features a refrain sung in Irish which translates to "in our hearts forever".[11] The band had read of a recently deceased Irish woman living in England whose family had wished to engrave the phrase on her gravestone. However, the Church of England ruled that the use of the Irish phrase could be deemed "political" or "provocative". After much criticism from the Irish community, the decision was eventually overturned and, on that day, the band recorded vocals for the song.[11]

"Big Shot" is the only song on the album written by O'Connell.[3] Lyrically, it depicts "fame, stardom, and the guilt which surrounds them" and his battles with his own ego due to the band's success.[12][3]

Promotion

The album was announced on 12 January 2022, to coincide with the release of its lead single "Jackie Down the Line".[13] A second single, "I Love You", was released just over a month later on 17 February 2022,[14] a song which the band described as “the first overtly political song we've written”[15]

Critical reception

The album was met with critical acclaim upon release. The Line of Best Fit awarded the album a perfect score of 10/10 calling Skinty Fia "a cascading third album that reveals as much as it continues to hide."[16] NME called Fontaines D.C. a "generational band [that] grapples with heritage." They gave the record five stars calling it a "a breathtaking collection that’s like nothing they’ve ever done before."[17]

Writing in The Guardian, Alexis Petridis praised the band for constantly inverting expectations of them, saying: "there’s something cheering about Fontaines DC’s bold refusal to join in, to deal instead in shades of grey and equivocation. There’s also something bold about their disinclination to rely on the most immediate aspect of their sound." He called Skinty Fia "more measured and reflective" than previous records, with it boasting "few examples of their punky full-pelt approach." Ultimately, he thought the album was another leap forward for the band and gave it four stars out of five.[18] Pitchfork awarded the album an 8.0. They praised the band's ability to tap into alienation and isolation, saying: "By burrowing into Fontaines D.C.’s particular experiences as strangers in a strange land, Skinty Fia ultimately homes in on the eternal fears—of growing old, bored, bitter, and unloved—that unite us all."[19]

Skinty Fia featured in many end of year lists. As well as awarding the band their 'Best Band in the World' award in 2022, NME also ranked Skinty Fia at #4 in their '50 Best Albums of 2022.'[20] The Guardian ranked it at #9 in their 50 best albums of the year.[21] Skinty Fia was also nominated for an Ivor Novello award in the 'Best Album' category.[22]

Track listing

All music by Grian Chatten, Tom Coll, Conor Curley, Conor Deegan III and Carlos O'Connell - All lyrics by Grian Chatten, except "Big Shot" lyrics by Carlos O'Connell.

Personnel

Adapted from Discogs.[23]

Fontaines D.C.

  • Grian Chatten – vocals, accordion, 12-string acoustic guitar, tambourine
  • Carlos O'Connell – guitar, 12-string acoustic guitar, backing vocals, celeste, Clavioline, xylophone, art direction
  • Conor Curley – guitar, 12-string acoustic guitar, backing vocals
  • Tom Coll – drums, percussion
  • Conor Deegan III – bass guitar, Bass VI, backing vocals, bouzouki, piano, whistling

Additional personnel

  • Dan Carey – production, mixing, sonic manipulation, synthesizer, swarmatron, effects
  • Christian Wright – mastering
  • Alexis Smith – engineering
  • Aidan Cochrane – art direction, design
  • Rory Dewar – design
  • Ashley Willerton – lettering

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for Skinty Fia
Chart (2022)Peak
position
Italian Albums (FIMI)[24]12
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[25]22

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for Skinty Fia
Chart (2022)Position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[26]128

References

  1. ^ Berman, Stuart (22 April 2022). "Fontaines D.C.: Skinty Fia Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  2. ^ "Fontaines D.C. Announce New Album 'Skinty Fia' Alongside Brand New Track". Milky. 12 January 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  3. ^ Ehrlich, Brenna (11 January 2022). "Fontaines D.C. – Fontaines D.C. on the Mutated Irishness of Their New Record 'Skinty Fia'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  4. ^ Leas, Ryan (11 January 2022). "Fontaines D.C. – "Jackie Down The Line"". Stereogum. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  5. ^ "Discography Fontaines D.C.". irish-charts.com. Archived from the original on 22 June 2020. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
  6. ^ "Fontaines DC | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
  7. ^ "Wet Leg, Fontaines DC land nominations at BRIT Awards 2023". live4ever. 13 January 2023. Retrieved 2023-01-16.
  8. ^ "RTÉ Choice Prize Irish Album of the Year shortlist announced – featuring CMAT, Fontaines D.C., Pillow Queens and more". Hot Press. Retrieved 2023-01-16.
  9. ^ Walker, Gary (25 April 2022). "Fontaines D.C. – Skinty Fia review: a band brimming with ideas and a boundless horizon before them". Guitar.com. BandLab Technologies. Archived 11 July 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  10. ^ Trendell, Andrew (28 August 2022). "Fontaines D.C. talk "lighter" new material and Sam Fender's epic McDonald's order". NME. Archived 29 August 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  11. ^ Aubrey, Elizabeth (31 May 2022). "Fontaines D.C. meet family of the late Margaret Keane, who inspired song 'In ár gCroíthe go deo'". NME. Archived 13 December 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
  12. ^ Grover, Aran (23 April 2022). "Album Review: Fontaines D.C. – Skinty Fia". Exeposé. Archived 29 May 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
  13. ^ Condon, Dan (25 January 2022). "Fontaines D.C. remain in brilliant touch on 'Jackie Down The Line'". Double J. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  14. ^ Kreps, Daniel (17 February 2022). "Fontaines D.C. Pen Conflicted Ode to Ireland on New Song 'I Love You'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  15. ^ Kreps, Daniel (2022-02-17). "Fontaines D.C. Pen Conflicted Ode to Ireland on New Song 'I Love You'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2023-01-25.
  16. ^ "Fontaines DC "Skinty Fia"". The Line of Best Fit. The Line of Best Fit. 2022-04-18. Retrieved 2024-08-15.
  17. ^ "Fontaines D.C. – 'Skinty Fia' review: generational band grapples with heritage". NME. NME. 2022-04-22. Retrieved 2024-08-15.
  18. ^ "Fontaines DC: Skinty Fia review – boldly embracing a state of confusion". The Guardian. 2022-04-21. Retrieved 2024-08-15.
  19. ^ "Skinty Fia". Pitchfork. Pitchfork. 2022-04-22. Retrieved 2024-08-15.
  20. ^ "The 50 best albums of 2022". NME. NME. 2022-12-09. Retrieved 2024-08-16.
  21. ^ "The 50 best albums of 2022". Guardian. Guardian. 2022-12-23. Retrieved 2024-08-16.
  22. ^ "Fontaines D.C. nominated for Ivor Novello Award". RTE. RTE. 2023-04-18. Retrieved 2024-08-16.
  23. ^ "Fontaines D.C. - Skinty Fia | Releases | Discogs". Discogs. Archived 2022-07-27 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2024-12-27.
  24. ^ "Album – Classifica settimanale WK 17 (dal 22.04.2022 al 28.04.2022)" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
  25. ^ "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 2 May 2022. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
  26. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 2022" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 14 January 2023.