DMA’S

‘For Now’

(Album Review)

Reviewer: Georgia Dickinson

.

.

.

Sydney trio DMA’s have had quite the adventure since their debut album Hill’s End. The 2016 triumph saw the boys in the top 10 ARIA Album Chart, consecutive placings on the triple j Hottest 100 and an ARIA nomination for Best Breakthrough Artist. Along with well-deserved chartings, Hill’s End’s essence of brit-pop revivalism also the three-piece conquering most major music festivals around the world including Coachella, Glastonbury and Splendour In The Grass. Now, DMA’s bring to the table For Now – the follow-up album that fans and critics have been eagerly awaiting. And with the assistance of The Presets’ Kim Moyes producing the 12-track sophomore release, it’s no doubt that we are in for another tasteful ride from Sydney’s favourite guitar-driven trio.

.

.

For Now starts with its roaring title track, with all elements that DMA’s pull out best. It includes anthemic guitar riffs from guitarists Johnny Took and Matt Mason, head-bopping percussion and frontman Tommy O’Dell’s effortless vocals spun into a gigantic opener. “For Now” shows off remnants from DMA’s critically-acclaimed debut and ties up any angst that Hill’s End brought to the table. With venomous lyrics like “If I am nothing, you are no one”, DMA’s have kicked up the dust left from Hill’s End and turned it into yet another standout track.

.

.

“For Now” is followed by radio-ready “Dawning”, the synth-inducing “Time & Money” and the incredibly daunting “In The Air”. From this first quarter of the album, the direction of this new album is obvious. The Brit-pop trio has slowed down from their efforts in Hill’s End. For Now displays a sense of instrumental maturity within the band. Took and Mason’s use of distortion has faded away, replaced by the use of delay, reverb and a hint of a piano in each corner.

.

.

The outlier in For Now lies within “The End”. “The End” relies solely on synth as it takes you through this dark four-and-a-minute disco throwback. The Presets’ Kim Moyes’ production really comes to the life on this track and although “The End” is vastly different to every other track on the record, there a grittiness to it that dials it back to DMA’s territory.

.

.

But the change is not excessive on this album, O’Dell’s vocals still shine through regardless through laid-back instrumentals in “Warsaw” and “Lazy Love”. Heavily reminiscent of Madchester and other Britpop eras, it’s these light-hearted moments with lyrics like “And my lazy love keeps sailing through your veins, every time” that become true highlights in this album. But it’s also rockier features like “Do I Need You Now?” and “Break Me” that showcase the album’s continuation from Hill’s End.

.

.

The final quarter of For Now kicks off with “Tape Deck Sick”, which is one of the more upbeat songs on the album. It attracts the listener from the get-go, only containing a single guitar with O’Dell’s vocals in play. It’s lyricism that’s showcased in this track, with lines like “Cause I’ve seen visions of you breaking out the sunlight” that really come out to play.

.

.

Pre-closer “Health” channels only vocals, acoustic guitar and a soft piano is hidden within its creases. And together, it creates a beautiful turning point in For Now with definitives in every lyric. It’s successor “Emily Whyte” continues that same simplicity as it rounds off the album as a whole. These final moments showcase that even the simplest of instrumentals can create the biggest highlights and something that is reflected in the rest of DMA’s efforts in For Now.

.

.

It was evident that with the hype for Hill’s End that the expectations placed upon DMA’s for this record would be extremely high. But it seems that the band has only taken it to their advantage with For Now. With extreme depth, warm instrumentals and lyrics that keep you delving deeper, For Now can only tell you one thing. DMA’s are a band for the ages and much like their influences in The Stone Roses and Oasis, their impact will last long after their dissolution.

.

.