Dom
Family of Love
Release Date: Aug 9, 2011
Genre(s): Pop/Rock, Alternative/Indie Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock
Record label: Virgin
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Album Review: Family of Love by Dom
Great, Based on 4 Critics
Based on rating 8.0/10
At first glance, Dom don't come across as particularly ambitious. During our Rising interview with the Worcester indie-pop outfit last year, their eponymous frontman mentioned that one of the benefits of living in the Massachusetts town was the lax laws on weed possession. About a month later, they put an ad on Craigslist for what essentially sounded like a band babysitter.
Based on rating 8.0/10
Since the band's sudden ascent to blog stardom last March, Dom has come off as a sort of meta-buzzband, deliriously exploding the cliches and conventions associated with internet fame. Every buzzband needs a backstory, and Dom's doesn't dissapoint: the band's mononymous (and eponymous) frontman was allegedly given up for adoption because of his red hair. Every buzzband needs a high-profile collaboration; Dom elected to go with freakin' Gucci Mane.
Based on rating 7/10
Indie burnouts Dom probably subscribe to the adage that good things come in small packages: The mysterious but buzzed-about Worcester, MA band must believe in a short-and-sweet aesthetic, going at its own pace and releasing two EPs to its name in the past two years. Even briefer than the debut Sun Bronzed Greek Gods by a few tracks, Dom’s latest nugget, Family of Love, is a more focused effort that still has a tossed-off, casual feel. A good example of how Dom takes well-worn elements and intuitively recombines them into something novel, opener “Telephone” is a canny mix of anachronistic oldies thematics, ‘80s new-wavey elements, and ‘90s indie attitude.
Based on rating 3.5/5
A year after landing on countless “Next Big Thing” lists, Dom returns with another brief collection of transient, grin-inducing synth-pop songs. The chiming guitars and keyboard swells that characterized the Worcester, Massachusetts-based band’s 2010 debut EP, Sun Bronzed Greek Gods, remain generously stocked throughout their new release, Family of Love. In fact, the only significant development here is the studio sheen producer Nicolas Vernhes has applied to the band’s formerly scuzzy, lo-fi sound.