Dom’s first release, the Sun Bronzed Greek Gods EP, is the embodiment of pop brevity: seven songs clocking in at just nineteen minutes. Two synth jams, the bleeping juggernaut “Livin’ in America,” and the gleefully isolationist anthem “Burn Bridges” garnered the most attention. But Dom’s sound is defined more by guitars than synths—one guitar usually scuzzed up, one clearer—and low, murky drums that flutter unpredictably. Cymbals slip and slide around these beats to create a dilapidated, propulsive shuffle.
Greek Gods’ best song, “Rude as Jude,” moves from churning guitar on the hook to sweet, chiming guitar during verses, all atop of stuttering percussion. During the bridge, the churner falls out behind the chimer before both guitars unite and the vocals drop back in, mumbled, sugary, and irresistible.
Dom’s newest EP Family of Love, released today via Astralwerks, loses the murk and scuzz in favor of pristine drums, shiny guitars, and studio effects, but the underlying magic hasn’t changed; he still has a way with sugary irresistibility. Family Of Love opens with “Telephone,” a groovy nugget that suffers from the whooshing effects in the background, which obscure the goofy telephone tone riff.
The title track follows, bouncing along and displaying the same gorgeous interplay between instruments as “Rude As Jude”—this time between synth and guitar. “Damn,” which has been floating around the internet for weeks, is another loner anthem buoyed by stellar guitars.
Blurting synths also make appearances on the back half of the EP. “Happy Birthday Party” is one of the punchier things Dom has written, working off a funky low-end that shows some Prince-like catchiness (Dom has been known to cover “Little Red Corvette” in live sets), though the lyrics—“time to get gnarly” especially—can sound too tossed off.
On “Some Boys,” Emma, a female friend of Dom’s, sings lead over a jaunty piano-line, sounding a lot like Best Coast minus the fuzz. The raunchy catalogue of various types of horny boys calls to mind a whimsical answer to the late ’70s blues of The Rolling Stones’ song “Some Girls.”
Whether they are fuzzy or clear, guitar- or synthesizer-heavy, recorded in a bedroom or in a fancy studio, Dom songs insinuate themselves into your life on the strength of their charm and simplicity. But Dom’s best attribute is that he always quits while he is ahead: five beguiling songs is a brutal tease, but I’ll be sure to come back for the next set.
