Sunburn in Bloomington, MN

Sunburn
, the sophomore album from Euphoria actor and songwriter/vocalist
Dominic Fike
, continues the often light and feel-good sound he established on earlier material, with occasional undercurrents of emotional gravity balanced out by moments of overwhelmingly by-the-numbers pop. Mellow, relatively gentle tunes like "Dancing in the Courthouse" and "Pasture Child" have a lazy lope to them not unlike
Fike
's previous singles, but with more of a sunny West Coast flair to them. The distorted but melodic guitars of "Ant Pile," the
Anthony Kiedis
-modeled flow of "Frisky," and the backing vocals from
Rivers Cuomo
himself on "Think Fast" -- a song that borrows its cadence directly from
Weezer
's "Undone - The Sweater Song" -- are all elements that give
a dreamy nostalgia for the alt-pop-heavy days of the late '90s and early 2000s, even if it's a nostalgia for an era
personally lived through as an infant. While the majority of the album is breezy and unassuming, the radio-ready pop detailing of "Mona Lisa" cuts through a little more than most, with manicured hooks and sonic sweetening that feel tailored for commercial blockbuster status. ~ TiVo Staff