Shoutout to Berger for putting me on to these guys. It's only taken me four years, and three more albums since his recommendation, to fully embrace a Fontaines D.C. release. Each previous one held moments of intrigue, but those were outnumbered by others preventing me from fully climbing on board. But here, the fourth time is the charm.

With regard to its place in their catalog, phrases along the lines of "most accessible" are found in nearly every review of the Irish group's latest, and I couldn't agree more. Although, that description could arguably be applied to all of Romance's predecessors compared to each prior. While those never quite got me there, something about this one kept my curiosity piqued, despite needing a few listens to fully be persuaded. In the end, there's a so undeniably 90s factor about Romance, one that harkens to those impressionable, formative years in one's life when musical predilection is formed. I dig this Romance.