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10.0
147026
10.0 |
Rolling Stone UK
After the surreal technicolour dreams of 'Romance', Fontaines D.C. have landed back on Earth to dissect our fractured reality. The result is something truly special
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10.0
147033
10.0 |
NME
As Dublin’s finest reach stadium level, album five dives deeper into the extremes of ‘Romance’ for a dark but exhilarating reflection of end times
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10.0
147044
10.0 |
Dork
When a band reaches a certain size, a lot of people start claiming they were better before they got big. We defy anyone to listen to 'Dopamine Chamber' and make that claim in good faith - this is a band firing on all cylinders and staking their claim to be the best band of their generation
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10.0
147020
10.0 |
The Guardian
This is a beguiling, endlessly inventive and frequently astonishing fifth LP from a group at increasing ease with being the best band of their generation
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10.0
147069
10.0 |
The Independent
A masterpiece from the greatest band of their generation
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10.0
147081
10.0 |
The Arts Desk
Incredibly, the intensity and complexity of Grian Chatten’s voice has deepened since the much-lauded 'Romance'
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10.0
147089
10.0 |
musicOMH
Fifth album finds Dublin quintet sounding grandiose and exhilarating, evolving while refusing to compromise any of their identity
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10.0
147091
10.0 |
DIY
A mirror to our times casting back a stark, frightening image
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10.0
147124
10.0 |
The Skinny
Dark, daring and decidedly enthralling, Fontaines D.C.'s fifth album Dopamine Chamber is the sound of a band completely in a league of their own
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9.0
147084
9.0 |
Under The Radar
If Romance was the first time Fontaines D.C. raised their head over the parapet, Dopamine Chamber is the storming of the Winter Palace. It is the absolute victory we always dream of, when the outsiders take over
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9.0
147071
9.0 |
Still Listening
Dopamine Chamber sounds like a busted limbic system that forces you to let all of the emotions hit you at once
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9.0
147072
9.0 |
Far Out
A wrecking ball of innovation that proves the band are a power unto themselves, and each new challenge posed by the release of a new album continues to draw out their undeniable genius
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9.0
147074
9.0 |
Spill Magazine
The band incorporates a great many influences, but they make everything their own distinct sound. It is an album of discovery and gets better with each spin on the turntable
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9.0
147045
9.0 |
Hot Press
Dopamine Chamber finds Fontaines moving even further away from the live guitar emphasis of their earlier work – embracing new styles in ways that are, by turns, liberating and devastating
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8.5
147101
8.5 |
Earmilk
If you've already started building your AOTY list but haven't listened to Dopamine Chamber yet, make sure you leave a slot open
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8.3
147086
8.3 |
Consequence Of Sound
The Irish band's fifth album is a synth-heavy reinvention, jagged and unnerving at multiple turns
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8.0
147040
8.0 |
Rolling Stone
On Dopamine Chamber, the Irish band reaches further into electronic moodiness while delivering hard-hitting reflections on how to stay sane — and maybe even hopeful — these days
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8.0
147080
8.0 |
Exclaim
Dopamine Chamber is no different; while not too far removed from the sonic sensibilities of Romance, the darker tone and existential themes keep the band's meditations on the modern world as potent as ever
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8.0
147047
8.0 |
Mojo
As dark chroniclers of their age, Fontaines D.C. are here to illuminate the gloom
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8.0
147056
8.0 |
Clash
‘Dopamine Chamber’ is Fontaines D.C. rambling about the worst bits of the modern world – environmental collapse, extreme wealth, political violence – over some of the prettiest instrumentals the band have written
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8.0
147070
8.0 |
All Music
Dopamine Chamber is larger than life in a way that very few bands can achieve, and although it dives into feelings of digital isolation, it manages to feel like a collective experience
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8.0
147021
8.0 |
The Irish Times
Dopamine Chamber is the sound of Fontaines DC becoming megastars. Is bigger always better?
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7.8
147077
7.8 |
Northern Transmissions
As they fine-tune their stylistic evolution, the perfect balance is yet to be discovered
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7.8
147087
7.8 |
Pitchfork
Balances profound cynicism and genuine beauty as its ice-hearted stadium rock grows to darkly apocalyptic proportions
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7.7
147076
7.7 |
Beats Per Minute
Even with just one spin, it becomes evident that the album seems more like three distinct EPs, and one single, that have been collected. This might seem a weird way of assessing music, but the album clearly shifts gears after every three songs
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7.0
147068
7.0 |
Uncut
Grian Chatten and co swap guitars for icy synths and confront a world of endless conflict, digital dependency and creeping despair
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7.0
147149
7.0 |
PopMatters
While there is no doubt Fontaines D.C. will rightly go down as one of the era’s greats, this LP shows them struggling to close the gap between ambition and lasting impact
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7.0
147159
7.0 |
Sputnik Music (staff)
I don't know if Dopamine Chamber is destined for next-level success and massive airplay, but if there's a rock band built for the modern era and its sensibilities, it's Fontaines D.C
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6.5
147132
6.5 |
A.V. Club
The fifth album from Dublin’s Fontaines D.C. trades post-punk for polished pop-rock jams
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6.0
147038
6.0 |
The Line Of Best Fit
While Romance wasn’t the most cohesive LP, the majority of its tracks included beguiling hooks and textbook popcraft. Dopamine, too, is more a grab bag of songs than a precisely outlined set. Unfortunately, in Dopamine’s case, the pop savvy appears less consistently, leaving various tunes groping for identity
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5.8
147078
5.8 |
Paste Magazine
Both in terms of indie rock writ large and the band’s own artistic development, the Dubliners’ latest isn’t nearly as revolutionary as 2024’s Romance
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5.0
147082
5.0 |
God Is In The TV
Dopamine Chamber in three words, then. Should do better
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5.0
147118
5.0 |
Spectrum Culture
Doubles down on synthesizers and chokes out their previous sound; most of the album ends up sounding the same
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5.0
147039
5.0 |
Slant Magazine
The album’s best songs lean into sinister undertones with relish
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