Review
"Sunburn," baby! Dominic Fike's sophomore explosion, time-stamped July 7, 2023, is less of an album drop and more of a confessional rollercoaster. With themes of heartbreak, regret, addiction, sex, and jealousy, you're getting primo access to Fike's unfiltered personal diary. Kicking off with tunes like "How Much is the Weed?" and "Ant Pile," we surfers overhead waves of his teenage chaos in sunny Naples, Florida. Crushes, emotions, you name it, he wrangles all of it with his undeniable Florida-groove.
The genius kinetic trio of Jim-E Stack, Devin Workman, and Henry Kwapis sprays the album “Sunburn” with a pop rock/pop-punk fusion that whispers California cool, reminiscent of Tahitian cocktails and old surfboards—as nostalgic as it is fresh. We’re talking rootsy, heartfelt jams that are sometimes tripped up by flashy label fingerprints. Critics love to pick up on this, noting a few cuts like "7 Hours," "Dancing in the Courthouse," and "Mona Lisa" tend to slack on juicy lyrical depth, clutching structure with catchiness.
Circle the track “Sunburn” full of flickering lyricism—Fike adeptly crosses genre landscapes like a genre-crafting sage. Listening to follow-ups like "Think Fast," which taps the iconic Weezer spirit, or the glorious chaos in "Sick," and it's like chilling in Fike's daydream-flight between love-wrenched bangers and pensive riffs. Even with the occasional stumble, "Sunburn" shines with Dominic's raw talent, charm, and injured-heart-wearin' spirit—a testament that the dude ain't just playing with growth, he's challenging the sonic status quo. Result of personal evolution, rib-riffin' honesty, you're in for one emotive ride. - Vince
