★★★★★
DMA’s are a band you can depend on for an album you will most certainly play on repeat to the point of no return, a point proven throughout this career-peaking project.
Listeners have been granted the gracious gift of four singles prior to the full release, with tracks two to four seemingly painting a decent picture of what was to come for the remainder of this project. The real highlight has to be the opening track, ‘El Alamein’, an indication of what cutting-edge indie-rock should sound like in 2026, a Turnstile-esque drum-heavy adaptation of the likes of a Catfish and the Bottlemen belter, with a little Soft Play in there too. It has a winding, slightly hurt-yet-hopeful vocal, extending into a chorus you could only imagine in the cathartic, slow-motion drunk dancing scene of an indie rom-com. This track is destined to be nothing but a true future crowd pleaser, a beyond perfect introduction to DMA’S self-titled album, one that will shoot that name even further into the mouths of the jorts-wearing community worldwide.
This appraisal of ‘El Alamein’ isn’t to diminish the singles we’re now accustomed to, as they linger even now when listening to all the fresh tracks. Track two, ‘My Baby’s Place’ slows down the pace just a little, but keeps up a positive and bubbly ambience that you can instantaneously pick up on within the album. This is a love song that screams honeymoon phase with endearing lyricism of newfound comfort, accompanied by a soft, bouncy guitar: fun and fitting. ‘Emailz’ starts off less notable within the first verse, then, once the hook takes hold and lyrics “Doing it for you / Doing it for me” are sprinkled throughout the chorus, it becomes a sing-along. This track doesn’t try to be something it’s not; it’s a wistful, slightly soppy, catchy tune.
The band’s rock roots shine through immediately after on ‘One & Only’, reminiscent of an early 2000s The Kooks song mixed with a recent Fontaines D.C. track, small venue charm indie with lyrics of a naive nature due to the pure adoration shining through. If ‘Favourite’ is Fontaines D.C.’s ‘Just Like Heaven’, then ‘One & Only’ is DMA’S ‘Favourite’.
‘Windows’, the penultimate track, lays the foundation for a triumphant finale by maintaining the sincerity we hear on the romantic ballads at the beginning of the album, yet losing the level of hope, a weary reflection of the fading romance. This circular narrative of love and loss draws a close on the final track, ‘Distance’, a bittersweet ending to the story, a happy yearning. This track is buoyant, yet would suit being performed live a lot more than the studio recording. It's a listening experience that ties up the album adequately with its closing credits vibe. The highest point of this project would be ‘Dancing Luck’, the first introduction of uncertainty wrapped up in radiating earnest, making it simplistic yet fitting.
DMA’S are set to tour the album from the end of August 2026 to the beginning of February 2027; it won’t be one to miss. It’s apparent in its melodious nature that this album has been written to be heard live.
Amy Porter
Image: ‘DMA’s’ Official Album Cover
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