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THE ITHACAN

The Student News Site of Ithaca College

THE ITHACAN

The Student News Site of Ithaca College

THE ITHACAN

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Restructured light sound reflects band’s darker days

The term “lovable misfit” encapsulates the very essence of the musical oddity that is Dom.

After releasing an EP earlier this year and earning his band a coveted spot at Lollapalooza, the singularly named orphan-turned-indie kid returns with a glitzy new six-tracker. “Family of Love” may be short, but Dom oozes confidence and swagger.

Even after some hiring and firing within his band, Dom refuses to lose his grip on the acid trip fuzziness that permeated the “Sun Bronzed Greek Gods” EP. The collective’s latest effort, “Family of Love,” sparkles with a professional studio polish that contrasts sharply against the amateur feel of their first attempt.

The leadoff cut “Telephone” may not reach the popularity of a certain Gaga jam, but it is one of the only songs to date that flaunts a touch-tone phone as an instrument. Dom struggles with the classic dilemma of calling a crush as he laments, “I come alive when you pick up the line/ But I die every time when we say goodbye.”

The most intriguing track on the album is the one that lends the compilation its name. “Family of Love” pulls back the curtain and gives the listener an exclusive peek into Dom’s enigmatic history. Though the song bounces along to grooving bass lines and a quirky synth melody, the theme remains dramatic and tragic with Dom imagining the family he never had but seeks to attain.

Throughout “Family of Love,” Dom introduces narcissistic and demented themes that he cleverly masks with acid pop. He retains the rarely discovered talent of channeling negative energy into carefree bubbly goodness. Only the most intent listeners will take the time to dig beneath the candy surface to find Dom’s darker childhood days.

3 out of 4 stars

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