First listen review: 'Starburster' announces Fontaines D.C.'s genre-bending neon chaos

Fontaines D.C. have been a consistent force since their debut, an album that grabbed the attention and then shook for dear life. Not-so-quietly reigning in the shadows, with their new single 'Starburster', they're shedding their skin and embracing a bold new image and sound. This isn't evolution; it's a full-blown, neon-green metamorphosis. Not content to exist as one of the very best, this time, Fontaines D.C. are here to redefine the whole damn rulebook.

Their earlier work was a frantic, adrenaline-fueled engine, but 'Starburster' kicks it into a higher gear. Grian Chatten's vocals twist and turn, mirroring the song's transformation. Inspired by a panic attack he suffered in London's St Pancras station, jagged riffs splinter into a pulsating beat, turning his anxiety into a dizzying punk kaleidoscope. Raw anxiety morphs into a swaggering, sardonic delivery – cathartic and darkly funny in equal measure.