“Biblical” – Liam Gallagher on DMA’s 2018 album ‘For Now.’

Words by Jordan Scott. 

DMA’s established themselves as one of the most talented and exiting bands around with their 2016 debut album ‘Hills End’ which was a flawless nod back to the Britpop era. The band have returned with their ambitious follow-up ‘For Now’ and have raised the bar higher than we could’ve imagined.

The album kicks off with ‘For Now’, a bold and confident opener that’s heavily influenced by the Charlatans with shades of The Stone Roses. The track is dominated by a fantastic bassline and blends acoustic and electric riffs, something DMA’s do to perfection.

The next track ‘Dawning‘ was released as the first single and it’s easy to see why. The song takes all the best elements of ‘Hills End’ and moulds them into this high tempo, wonderfully melodic track that perfectly demonstrates the bands strengths in both songwriting and musicianship. ‘Time Money’ follows, and serves to be the highlight of the record. The song’s retro-pop sound gives it a brilliantly atmospheric feel, accompanied by a heavy bassline and an outstanding vocal performance from Tommy O’Dell. The pace of the record slows down with the second single ‘In The Air’, an emotive ballad that showcases the bands knack for writing classic sounding pop songs.

‘The End’ is one of the stand out tracks, with its melancholic feel and traces of psychedelia that show a whole other side to DMA’s. “Do I Need You Now” is largely in the same vein, one of the poppier moments on the album that see’s the band explore a more electronic sound.

‘Warsaw’ and ‘Lazy Love’ are the most bright and uplifting songs on ‘For Now’, both reminiscent in feel to their debut. ‘Warsaw‘ boasts the albums catchiest hook, while ‘Lazy Love’ houses some of the records best lyrics which should go down as a big fan favourite.

One of the finest moments is found on ‘Health‘, a laid back acoustic track with shades of Oasis‘ ‘Half The World Away’ along with a subtle R&B influence. ‘Emily Whyte’ is a triumphant closer, with psychedelic hints and grand acoustic strumming that sways under O’Dell’s powerful vocal. The track is another shining example of the albums fantastic production, and there’s no doubt it will sound incredible live.

The band have elevated themselves to another level musically on ‘For Now’, a record that still includes their classic British influence, but that influence seems more eclectic this time around, propelled forward with modern sounds and bolder production. DMA’s have achieved something special on this album. There are now bands out there that have a lot of catching up to do.

‘For Now’ will be released on Friday the 27th of April and can be pre-ordered here.

 

Review by Jordan Scott, you can follow Jordan on twitter here.