Dominic Fike - Sunburn

Following on from his debut album What Could Possibly Go Wrong, Dominic Fike marks his confident return with Sunburn, a reflective project that both reminisces and mourns his Florida upbringing. Having listened on repeat, Tabitha Smith explores the album’s bittersweet lyricism and infectious melodies. Tabitha Smith Shares her thoughts.

Sunburn is intrinsically sunny, and it’s something that is hard to put your finger on. It could be the setting of the album, as the project has a nostalgic fixation on Fike’s home state of Florida. Known for its beaches and sunshine, Fike appears to have recreated his childhood home in the space of these fifteen songs. But, unlike summery music, abundant and carefree, this record has a hugely regretful tone. Through the imagery of a sunburnt child, with sore skin he is trying to heal, we see Dominic struggling to reconcile his upbringing with the decisions he’s made as an adult.

How Much is Weed? sets this tone, acting as one of many ‘origin’ songs on the album that detail his come-up into the industry from a difficult background. The familiar mellow guitar riffs over fast snare and hi-hat rhythms start off the track as Fike talks about the ‘photo album but the colour faded from it’, setting a precedent for this analysis of childhood. I feel like the album’s titular track, Sunburn, acts as a second part to this opening song, as Fike reaffirms his complicated relationship with family values. ‘When I die baby, lay me in the sun’ acting as a refrain feels like a variant on ‘what goes around comes around’, as Fike reflects on his life so far.

This album seems to be firmly rooted in the past, refusing to look over its shoulder at its implications in the present. Fike comes close at one point in Dark, revealing regrets about being dishonest with the people he loves, but the phrase about lying through his teeth takes him straight back to being a child; ‘you remember when Alex had no front teeth?’. Fike goes from talking about his brother into a discussion with his mother, which provides a sense of balance with the previous track on the album, Mama’s Boy. As one of the album’s lead singles, Mama’s Boy is punctuated by heavily effected vocals, detailing Fike’s struggle to please his mother, as ‘half of [his] heart is in [her] chest’ and he feels obligated to find the good in this difficult relationship. With Fike’s soft responses of ‘I remember’ to his mother at the end of Dark, there seems to be a touching finality and sense of closure in the track, as these memories define Fike in ways he’s beginning to fully understand; it seems this album is all about remembering.

Despite addressing some more difficult truths in his life, Fike also provides the listener with some of the vibrancy in his music that we are used to. Two of the lead singles, Dancing in the Courthouse and Mona Lisa were produced by long-time collaborator Kenny Beats. The pair have previously worked on fan favourite songs such as Hit Me Up and Phone Numbers, and these new singles are the perfect addition to the album to lift the atmosphere and keep the project’s momentum from slowing. Dancing in the Courthouse has an ascendant feel that is personified in its lyrics; it will draw the jury to their feet, if that’s what you can equate the listener to, and make them dance around a bit. You can’t help but make comparisons between this and Cancel Me from Fike’s previous album. The 2020 track was what aided Rolling Stone’s case that they just weren’t convinced that Fike was grateful for the life that stardom had given him. However, this track seems to show that this nonchalance is wearing off ever so slightly; Fike is going to ‘make the judge jump and hit the two step’ until he figures that one out. Mona Lisa also denotes huge success for Fike since the song featured on the soundtrack for ‘Spider-man: Across the Spider-Verse’, arguably one of the biggest films of the year.

Despite this collaboration creating some of the album’s most promising songs, it is Think Fast that is proving the most popular among fans. Having only one credited collaboration on the album, the fact that Weezer takes this title is surprising to say the least. Rivers Cuomo’s contributions provide a great vocal layer in the later parts of the song and once again creates that elevating feel like Dancing in the Courthouse. Another collaboration that requires a slightly keener ear is Remi Wolf, who provides some vocals on Bodies. Fike and Wolf previously collaborated on a remix of her hit Photo ID, and their voices really complement each other. With all the maracas and start-stop vocalisation, the possibility of this being a Remi Wolf song is not too much of a stretch for the imagination. ‘It’s okay baby we can start fresh today’ as a shout of exaltation throughout the song sparks a little joy in me every time I hear it, as Fike plays around with the less serious regrets in life.

These carefree moments on the album really shine through, particularly in Sick. The song’s almost bitter lyrics are masked entirely by the fast-paced acoustic bassline and accented beat, which leads into a more layered bridge, making this a real highlight on the album. You can see where comparisons between Fike and Jack Johnson come from on this track and Pasture Child, through how much Fike can do with a simple riff and an infectious refrain. ‘Back before we went digital’ gives off such innocence, something that Fike seems to be trying to locate throughout this project. However, where Fike happily fulfils expectations, he goes beyond to explore new bounds to his creative process and, though seemingly unrelated, these songs are both themed around driving. 7 Hours reveals an unwavering devotion to a lover that Fike doubts feels the same. Through a medium that feels like an acoustic Post Malone track, Fike wants to create this bubble with those he loves as he travels through time, and the desperation for things to remain unchanged does justice to the album’s overarching themes. 4x4 feels the more misleading of the two; instead of being a ‘Range’ in which Fike is driving ‘goin’ two-hundred, goin’ through something’, 4x4 refers to the building blocks that have created life as he knows it. The track is startlingly beautiful, referencing fairytale imagery to talk about desperate dreams of lives unlived, indicated the huge musical range Dominic Fike has, something which I really hope he taps into more in the future.

Full of classics, Sunburn is a strong follow-up album, and the fact that this album is so introspective indicates a bright future for Fike if this is the direction he intends to head in. As is custom with some stars, Fike insists he had no motive with this album, but the striking recollection of youth and wanting to embody it is so poignant in this project. If this was not Fike’s intention, then the listener definitely has a great view into the inner workings of his mind and where he truly wants to be; at home in Florida, with his mum and brother, without a care in the world.

Tabitha Smith

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Edited by Olivia Hannant, Image: Sunburn Official Cover, Video: Courtesy of Apple Music Youtube