Dominic Fike gives listeners a sneak peek into the photo album of his life in "Sunburn"
Dominic Fike, popularly known for his role as Elliot in the hit HBO drama Euphoria, is also a talented, and versatile, music artist. He released two projects prior to Sunburn, both clearly marking him as a rising star. Fike’s second studio album is filled with 15 short and sweet songs, with the record only coming out to 39 minutes.
Each track on Sunburn is unique, no two songs sound the same. However, Fike provides a sense of continuity to his record through themes of adolescence and nostalgia flowing through every song. These themes are vividly introduced in the first track, How Much Is Weed? In the chorus, Fike describes his life as a “photo album but the color faded from it,” aptly summing up the album as a look into Fike’s past.
The next track, titled Ant Pile, elaborates on the established themes with a story about high school romance. Filled to the brim with “your mom” jokes and distorted guitar, Ant Pile perfectly describes the clumsiness of first love. Fike demonstrates his wide vocal range throughout Sunburn, exemplified by his low baritone in Think Fast. This angsty track begins with a memorable, painful line, “I’m born, I cry, I sing, I leave/This place, this place was bad for me.”
Fike’s vocals are given full focus in Dancing In The Courthouse, a passionate track about trying to find the good in a bad situation. During his youth, Fike had a few run-ins with the law that ended up with him in courthouses. As Fike looks back on his teenage rebellion, he gives us a glimpse into his optimism and perseverance, contrary to other tracks on the album.
Mona Lisa is a particularly unique track, with a funky techno element along with the longest rap segment on Sunburn. Throughout his album, Fike shows his expertise in both singing and rapping, in several styles. In the high-energy title track, Sunburn, Fike’s strong, raw vocals are emphasized as he sings about his love for Florida summers. One of Fike’s most poetic lines is quickly dropped in a rap segment: “When I die, baby, lay me in the sun.”
Fike spans several genres in Sunburn, dabbling in pop, rap, rock, and even a bit of folk, as shown in 4x4. The soft acoustic guitar is ever-so-gentle as Fike sings some of the most heart-wrenching lyrics he’s ever written. He nostalgically asks, “The weight of your eyes and your face when you cry/Make the days you were young seem ages ago/If you could stay, would you go?”
Mama’s Boy is a definite highlight of the album. The nostalgic feeling of Sunburn is at its peak in this track, as it is filled with samples of giggling children, beeping phones, and a chorus of childish playground chants. The sound is reminiscent of the 90s with its grainy, choppy vocals and smooth rhythm.
Sunburn comes to a close with What Kinda Woman, a soft and folksy love song that Fike sings in a crooning falsetto. This track ends the album perfectly, with finger plucking and a bit of hope. Fike’s third album is an introspective love letter to life and to Florida, with a unique perspective on pining for the past, yet looking towards the future.