8/10

When Floridian rapper and artist Dominic Fike released his long-awaited debut LP 'What Could Possibly Go Wrong' in 2020, it was greeted as one of the more inventive and adventurous releases of that year. While largely influenced by the inflection pop-punk has had with the rap scene in recent years, Fike's direction felt far more progressive than many others in his field, giving him this instantly recognisable and infectious sound. And after a few years to figure out his next moves, he returns with his hotly-tipped sophomore album 'Sunburn', a record that looks to build upon those vibrant ideals.

While sticking very much to a rap-rock-pop crossover once again, 'Sunburn' feels like a far more emotive and innovative release than we were expecting. Rather than just stick to his guns and deliver another dynamic party record, his latest collection has genuine moments of tender emotion and heartfelt prose that allows him to create a brilliantly unique endeavour here. Although he is definitely someone who likes to wear his influences firmly on his sleeve, this new outing marks an incredibly enjoyable step forward in his musical evolution to date.

Throughout this new full-length, Dominic Fike sounds like someone looking to do more than just fit into the current scene. He is establishing an aesthetic that not only suits him down to the ground, but showcases some wonderfully creative ideas that keeps the pace and flow moving ever forward, and cement him as a great talent on the rise right now.