Probably Not What You Want Stuck in Your Head All Day
by Jeff Klingman
Dom
Family of Love EP
(Astralwerks)
Dom's first EP, Sun-Bronzed Greek Gods, was as fuzzy as an oft-struck tennis ball, surrounding its goofy hooks in a bleary basement fog. Taking the boy out of his suburban Massachusetts den and into the studio of ubiquitous indie producer Nicolas Vernhes for its follow-up, Family of Love, has cleared the haze considerably, but with mixed results. You can hear its first two tracks clearly saying nothing much. "Damn" is the first real sign of life, shoveling on the high-fructose guitar riffs that the initial tracks were missing. The chorus melody is strong, but its sour sentiment ("I don't care about anyone else I know") is tough to enjoy. "Happy Birthday Party," as low-stakes as its title would suggest, is the set's most sonically promising. A recent Daft Punk jag is easy to spot in its noodle-y "Digital Love" guitars and sturdy dance beats. It's fun, but beyond dumb. "Time to get gnarly! Happy birthday party party! C'mon everybody!" Lunkheaded hedonism is actually a good look for the band, but sheesh.
Photo Sandy Kim courtesy Motormouth Media
