The most British sounding Australian rock trio ever is back with their third full-length studio album and it could be their most refined and fully-realised album to date…
With many standout tracks that will excite fans and newcomers alike, this album is an evolution for the band. This is a band which have been consistently praised over the years, for their encapsulation of nostalgia. Listening to the DMA’S feels like you’re being gently pulled back into the 1990s and Liam Gallagher is there offering you a cigarette indoors and a warm Stella.
Following the global success of their first two albums 2016’s Hills End and 2018 follow-up For Now, the band have gone from strength to strength, finding themselves supporting legendary bands such as Noel Gallagher’s High-Flying Birds, Kasabian and even “GODLIKE” Liam Gallagher.
This album is a total expansion of their previous works. It keeps up with their Brit-Pop roots, and yet continually pushes the very boundaries the band have created. It follows the same tried and tested formula of their previous two albums and just when you start to think it might be a rehash; BOOM. On their fourth track, Life is a Game of Changing, a tasty, little disco drumbeat greets you like an old friend.
Their flirtation with other genres never overtakes their overall sound, this is very much still a Brit-Pop rock album, but they introduce just enough to make this album a unique rethink and gives us a taste of just how much diversity this bright young Australian band might be able to give us.
Lead singer, Tommy O’Dell’s smooth and gorgeous vocals are another stand out on the album. Every track seems to be effortless for him as he navigates his way through the impactful and touching lyrics, he and the band have spent the past few years writing. It is his vocals that give the DMA’s a distinctive edge over the vast competition.
The album itself boasts many highlights. Fans of their previous songs such as Delete or In the Air will find themselves being massive fans of songs such as Strangers or Silver.
As with all DMA albums, there are songs which stick out more than others while some have the potential to fade into obscurity, but I suppose this is the way with the majority of albums. Although this album is very good, the boys have left room for improvement for future releases, which is why this band continue to be one of the most exciting acts in the world at the moment.
Having released five singles since October 2019, the band have been plagued by bad luck. These songs deserve to be sung at festivals. It is almost as though these tracks have been designed to be screamed by adoring fans in massive fields. The only saving grace is that fans of the DMA’S have plenty of time to learn every lyric, and every melody, and when the world gets slightly less crazy and these boys are allowed out of Australia, we will be here ready to belt out more of these anthems.
Rating: 8/10
By George Cowell
Feature Image Credit: Illusive Sounds