videoFontaines D.C. 'Jackie Down The Line' by Hugh Mulhern'Sorry it’s not disco, we lied. It’s an album of terrible lows and even worse highs’ - say Irish indie rock heroes Fontaines D.C. about their forthcoming third album, Skinty Fia. And the first video from the LP - directed by their regular collaborator Hugh Mulhern - is appropriately haunting.Centred around the band's performance of first single Jackie Down The Line - the last to grace Catford Theatre before it undergoes extensive renovation - Mulhern’s video also introduces the mysterious figure of Jackie as he navigates the harsh conditoins of a toxic relationship. This vision for the doomed romance sees a dedicated suitor in a jaunty hat - played by acclaimed choreographer and Kanye collaborator Black Haine - with an abundant supply of roses, seduced by sirens who incite violence. It evidently pays not to ghost a girl who is keen on archery. The dark theatricality of the concept feels evocative of early 90's grunge videos, and boasts brilliant performances centered around an unsetlling, abstract narrative. And Mulhern has also carried this concept into the live performance video of the track for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon - creating a new perspective of the narrative, through a one-shot drone setup.
Rob Ulitski - 17th Jan 2022