The Breakdown
After a hectic past 18 months with the release of the album ‘The Glow’, a live double LP of their gig at Brixton and winning a slew of awards at the Australian Independent Record Labels Association (AIR), DMA’S have just released a surprise new EP entitled ‘I Love You Unconditionally, Sure Am Going To Miss You’, with vinyl available set for release on Friday, 8 October 2021.
Recorded while quarantining in Canberra, the EP has a vibrancy and immediacy that is tangible. It thrums with a wall of shimmering guitars and pounding rhythms with mountain high choruses and indelible melodies. Johnny Took says of the EP:
This EP was in the natural trajectory that you can sometimes take in a band. You work with different producers, and you want to keep changing, but there’s also something in your core that pulls you back. It’s cool to get back to your roots sometimes.
Opening track ‘Way’ immediately indicates this is a rawer and more visceral DMA’s: a rocking, anthemic blast with a shoegaze texture, a frenetic pulse-quickening pace, a cinematic width and a seething feedback undertow. Quite exhilarating.
Feature track ‘We Are Midnight’ is a melancholy infused anthem, again with a driving edge and blistering pace. Guitars come to the fore: a thundering, distorted fuzz and huge rousing choruses. This is magnificent stadium fare. Took says:
We Are Midnight’ is a noisy guitar pop explosion which brings us back to our roots. In writing the track we felt all the melodic parts were strong but structuring it properly to make the most out of the song was the hardest part. By self-producing this EP, we had to take more control of aspects such as this and seeing growth in this facet of our song writing makes us proud to share it with you today 🙂
‘Viol’ maintains the racing pace and yet again DMA’S ear for melody is astounding – celestial choruses ring out and shine with an euphorical tone.
Final track ‘Junk Truck Head F@ck’ is a slower paced acoustic ballad – naked and raw – that aches with regret and loss.
‘I Love You Unconditionally, Sure Am Going To Miss You’ is DMA’S at their very best. There is a clear nod to their beginnings with less synth, less production trickery and more dirty guitars, but their command of songwriting is more magnificent, bold and transformative. This is a very nice surprise.
You can download/stream the EP here as well as pre-order a vinyl edition.
Feature Photograph: Mclean Stephenson
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