PREMIERE // The Fontaines – Playboys EP

Post by Misha

One of my favorite things about getting new music from The Fontaines is how I’m never quite sure what I’ll be getting. This summer we premiered their Playgirls EP, a largely sultry affair playing with the duo’s signature retro-pinup aesthetic. That EP was preceded by three rapid-fire singles exploring a synthier side of the band – and now barely three months later we have another offering from the LA brother-sister pair, this time a decidedly more raucous venture with the attitude of Sid Vicious and the pipes of a young Ann Wilson.

The adventurousness pays off in a sound that’s always fresh, surprising, and, perhaps most importantly, evolving. Playboys, the partner EP to the aforementioned Playgirls release, kicks off with the snarling title track, crashing headfirst into slow burning Bully (my personal favorite). Guitarist Hank Fontaine mashes the throttle right back to 100 on Mercury before finishing on a tender breath. At times the songs take on a punk edge, elsewhere they feel plucked in time from the alt-y cusp of 1989. And always, Charlotte Fontaine’s striking and distinct voice is the thread tying the band’s many influences together.

Playboys is a quick tour de force, and the band show no sign of losing momentum. They have a show coming up at The Satellite on November 29th – tickets here. The Playboys EP will be streaming everywhere November 17. Order it here.