DMA’S
The Glow
I OH YOU
DMA’s are often hailed the ‘Australian Oasis’ but with some of the dance beats and modern pop touches on this record, it feels more Blur than the Gallagher brothers. Known for their wonderful lyrics and sing-a-long moments, these features still shine as bright on The Glow as they do on previous albums, with singer Tommy O’Dell’s voice sounding as good as ever.
Never Before is a great opener, with guitars that sound like they belong on a 2000s-movie soundtrack, or the theme song to a TV show, as it is quite reminiscent of the Veronica Mars theme song (We Used To Be Friends by The Dandy Warhols). Along with title track The Glow, it creates a nostalgic feeling that sticks around throughout the record, and it’s this nostalgia that makes the album a great listen.
DMA’s are masters at catching your attention within the first few words of the song, and The Glow highlights this, especially single Silver, with the opening line “Did you feel like heaven?” catching the listener’s attention immediately. It also is a key sing-a-long moment on the album, and has proven a firm crowd favourite when played around the country at Laneway earlier this year. It brings tears to your eyes.
Round & Around is another song that demonstrates how great the band are at getting your attention. “You were there on a Sunday morning” does not sound so significant, but something about the words or the melody just makes your ears prick up and listen.
A dance beat introduces you to Life Is A Game Of Changing, and the pop touches don’t stop there. Some work, and others just don’t quite fit in like the remixed part at the end of the first chorus in Criminals. The best touch of pop added to the album is perhaps the synth-strings added to the aforementioned Life Is A Game Of Changing.
Criminals provides some of the corniest lyrics on the album, with the chorus seeming to be a take on the popular “partner in crime” saying. A weird mix of ballad and pop song, this track doesn’t seem to fit in with the rest of the record, and doesn’t really make sense as a DMA’s song.
Strangers provides some redemption, with a cool introduction, a great melody line throughout the verses and chorus, and a dark, mysterious feeling that we haven’t gotten before from the band. It boasts a great bass line, and it isn’t the only song boasting one, Hello Girlfriend including a nice bass riff alongside some lovely lines, and brings the big guitars from earlier on in the album back to the forefront.
Moving into the back of the record, Appointment is a beautiful ballad with a wonderful introduction. It makes you want to close your eyes and sway. It feels revelatory once the chorus hits.
Cobracaine is the album’s closer and includes a great melody, and the line “Wanted to go on holiday” which everyone can definitely relate to right now. A dance beat builds throughout the song, and there is a section with vocal effects that is really cool. It works very well, and adds another fantastic melody line to a song filled with them. The track seems to be the perfect mix of the sound we know and expect from DMA’s and the new sound that takes inspiration from pop and dance that has been showcased on this album. Let’s hope this is the direction they take in the future.
KIERRA POLLOCK
