DMA’S STUN IN NEW STELLAR SELF-TITLED RECORD
ALBUM REVIEW | DMA’S – DMA’S by Morgan Hermiston
Three years after the release of How Many Dreams?, Australian three-piece DMA’S return with their fifth studio record. The self-titled release sees Tommy O’Dell, Johnny Took, and Matt Mason maintain a sound that they’re innately known for, while also delving into some of their most vulnerable work to date. It’s an album that has definitely been recorded with live audiences in mind, but as a stand-alone piece of music, it’s just as impeccable.
‘El Alamein‘ is an atmospheric introduction to the record, with DMA’S displaying their ability to balance big choruses with a crystal clear production that allows every part of the instrumentation to be heard. Distorted vocals towards the end provide a distinct edge that divides it from previous material. It’s the perfect track to begin such a highly anticipated release, and could’ve easily been a single too. I couldn’t pick one favourite track from this record, but it is joint first-place with a song that comes later on.
Four already heard singles follow this track. ‘My Baby’s Place‘ and ‘Hurracane‘ continue the classic DMA’S dynamic of huge choruses you can’t help but imagine live audiences singing along with. The first is slightly more ethereal in its sound, with the latter implementing a poetic vividness in lyrics like, “you’re crashing through my mind like a hurricane“. ‘Killing Time‘ highlights why DMA’S are still indie heavyweights, straying slightly into a different direction. A more synth-electro feel is present, whereas ‘Heatin Park‘ returns listening back to the liveliness so many know and love. This fifth track follows an Oasis-esque grittiness with riffs to satisfy the rowdiness within bigger venues.
The next song, ‘Emailz‘ is a standout point for me. It maintains the momentum made by previous tracks but incorporates a level of intricacy and meticulous melancholy. ‘Emailz‘ is the result, a lighter sound that somehow contrasts and complements the anthemic attitude of the singles before this. ‘One & Only‘ once again sees us being drawn back into the mighty moments that DMA’S are masters at creating. I think it resembles a lot of earlier material, with the title track from 2020’s THE GLOW coming to mind in particular.
Reflecting temporarily back to when I said opening track ‘El Alamein‘ was my joint favourite song, eighth track ‘Dancing Luck‘ shares the top spot. Where I love the bright, rebel-rousing releases that DMA’s are so good at getting right, sometimes it’s so intriguing to hear a more relaxed rendition of their songwriting. ‘Dancing Luck‘ is that acoustic alternative. The song’s stripped back nature soars and intertwines with the personality infused in all of their work, and O’Dell’s vibrant vocals are heard effortlessly in repeated lines like, “there’s a light that’s still on, inside“.
‘Concrete‘ ties in the nature notions present in the third track ‘Hurracane‘ with the lyric, “crashin’ around like thunder, looking through the lost and found“. There is quintessential intricacy in the melody that is prevalent throughout the self-titled record, and amongst much of their discography. This classic DMA’S sound continues yet again into the penultimate track, and fifth single, ‘Windows‘. Reminiscent of earlier work like ‘Step Up the Morphine‘ from debut release Hills End, there is an emphasis on how intimate sounds can be just as instrumental in their success as huge, heartier moments. Final track ‘Distance‘ carries this on, providing a foot-tapping tempo and an all encompassing end to what I believe is one of their greatest albums to date.
DMA’S have created an eclectic eleven-track escapade with this record, and regardless of when you’ve discovered them, there’s something for fans new and old. ‘Windows‘ is my favourite of the singles that were already released; its vibrant vulnerability sees the band take on an alternative approach that provokes reflection. The whole album is like that, in the sense that the nostalgia of earlier albums can fluctuate with fresh, new and still lively approaches. A decade on from their debut, DMA’S have still got it, and this self-titled record proves just that.
To celebrate the release of their self-titled and fifth studio album, DMA’S are taking the record on a run of intimate out-store shows across the UK. You can find remaining tickets for these here. They also take this album, as well as a whole host of their other material on a bigger tour in February 2027, with tickets available here. If you love what you hear from the record, you can help them with album sales by purchasing a copy.
