"Before You I Just Forget" Shines On Fontaines D.C.'s Romance (Deluxe Edition)

Photo courtesy of XL Recordings

On Wednesday, April 16, Romance (Deluxe Edition) dropped without an announcement from the Irish post-punk group Fontaines D.C. The February single, “It’s Amazing To Be Young,” is included on this new collection, as well as “Before You I Just Forget” and a sonic melding of David Lynch’s “In Heaven (Lady in the Radiator Song)” and the band’s song, “Starburster.” 

What stands out the most to me on this release is the haunting track, “Before You I Just Forget.” The instrumental production is subdued, with the individual instruments playing only a side role in comparison to the heavily Dublin-accented vocals by frontman Grian Chatten. The lyrics are eerie and evocative as Chatten switches between singing with intent and slowly mumbling, a musical style that Fontaines D.C. has proved to master throughout their fourth studio album, Romance. 

The song starts with the repetitive chorus, as if Chatten is repeating a mantra to himself. “Decapitate the shine ‘cause people like that / Pretending I’m fine ‘cause people like that,” he urgently repeats. Alluding to the complexities of stardom, the singer reveals he feels as if he can no longer showcase a side of himself that he wishes to for the sake of his audience and fans. The overall feel of the song is mellow, however, the lyrics prove evocative and emotional, despite the detached delivery. 

The verses are stylistically rushed, with Chatten rambling through picturesque metaphors to capture the stress he feels when in the limelight. He explains he has “no parts left to sell,” and that all he has left are “scenes of a life that hasn’t been sold.” Having almost nothing remaining that is his own, Chatten feels that he has been completely consumed by fame and being a public figure. Those few things he has left after his rise to fame that are private to him may as well be “sold,” just like the rest of his life. 

After repeating the beginning chorus again, the end of the track concludes with a final “decapitate the shine.” An echo of the beginning, there is no solution to the endless cycle of being in the spotlight for Chatten, and he’s accepted that he may have to get rid of his “shine” altogether.

Listen to the new deluxe album here: https://open.spotify.com/album/1eKVHMQJt9UVkuOb4gE3wy?si=YsjlqZDVRmyxgO1L0Y6uiQ