DMA’S — THE GLOW (7/10/20)

I caught onto this Australian trio in 2018 with their sophomore full-length For Now. The album placed them at the top of my list of discoveries that year with songs like “Dawning,” “The End,” and “Warsaw;” the latter coming in at number nine on my Top 100 songs of the year.

They’ve made a quick turnaround and are back with a new album of emotionally thick alternative rock.

The three core members are vocalist Thomas O’Dell, lead guitarist/backing vocalist Matthew Mason, and acoustic guitarist Johnny Took. No drummer in that lineup, and it shows in the music. The acoustic guitar plays a huge role in the band’s breezy alternative sound, the vocals always shine, and the drums just keep the beat without fighting for attention.

Opener “Never Enough” sets up a beachy sort of energy with a loose and wavy feel. The acoustic guitar follows a simple chord pattern while electric guitar and keyboard add a bit of a warped, almost spacey feel to things.

The title track has a relatable sentiment to it. He voices the frustration of creating something special but not getting the recognition for it; the story of many artists lives. A punchy beat really pulls this one along but it’s the pre-chorus when they cut the beat for four bars where you feel the best of this song’s effect.

“Silver” is the debut single from last fall. It shows off DMA’s more dramatic and full sound with the addition of strings in the mix. There’s an amazing amount of feeling to the performance as O’Dell sings of this love that he can hardly seem to define.

With songs like this, the band shows their uniqueness in delivering emotional melodies. And they really keep me hooked with not only a strong chorus but a post-chorus/outro that is even better than the hook itself.

“Life Is a Game of Changing” was the second single, released early this year. You immediately are introduced to a bit of a different musical environment as the song warms up under a steady house beat. Atmospheric guitar floats in and out and the song grows into an anthemic hook that creates a wonderfully inspiring mood.

“Criminals” was the final single released before the album and it’s about the most exciting song of the bunch. It starts innocently enough with slow piano and a moody vocal performance before introducing the guitar into a rising chorus. The real excitement hits when the beat drops for this out-of-left-field synth breakdown. A friendly and fun track, but I do wish they could have pushed the synth breakdown even further.

The album keeps up the pace with the dark and driven “Strangers” before reaching its finest achievement with “Learning Alive.”

I mentioned previously how DMA’s have a way with emotional melodies, and this song reaches some of the strongest musical emotions of the year. O’Dell carries an amazing amount of feeling in his vocal performance and there’s an uncertainty in the lyrics that’s easy to sympathize with.

“Hello Girlfriend,” “Appointment,” and “Round & Around” are a little less impactful for me.

I can appreciate the rock energy of “Hello Girlfriend” and there’s no denying the song’s catchiness, it just doesn’t offer me much more. “Appointment” moves at a slower pace and has some beautiful emotive guitar that does tug on the heart but ultimately is a little underwhelming. “Round & Around” picks things up again with a stronger rock edge. It shows more of DMA’s Brit-rock tendencies and I just find it rather standard.

I’m pulled back in with closer “Cobracaine.” I’m definitely more interested when DMA’s play with an electronic landscape and this song leans heavily into the atmospheric synth realm. It adds such a fullness to the sound and it creates this enchanting and cathartic musical feeling.

There’s an auto-tune to the vocals in the bridge/outro and it brings up similarities to fellow Australian act Empire of the Sun.

So, ultimately, as my second album with these guys, I am happy to see them playing with more electronic templates compared to their previous album. O’Dell is a wonderful vocalist and the smooth-edged synths to some of these songs just add to the emotional power to be found in this album.