DMA’s – DMA’s

With over 500 million streams across their discography, DMA’s need little introduction. This highly successful cache includes four multi-platinum singles, multiple ARIA Award nominations (Best Group in 2023) and 13 songs in triple j’s Hottest 100. Their fifth album, releasing on 21^st August 2026, will be the Aussie band’s first self-titled. After such success, what to follow up with?

Each song is approximately three to four minutes long, and the 11 tracks pass surprisingly quickly without feeling monotonous. On listening, there was a tendency for the songs to blur together a little, but this did not hinder enjoyment. It was easy to escape into. In typically indie rock fashion (à la The Strokes and the Arctic Monkeys), bleaker lyrics juxtapose a dreamy sound. It is sonically reminiscent of a 90s coming-of-age film, which arguably fits with the genre. This is hallmark DMA’s. The band have carefully considered how these songs can be performed. Any of these songs could be played exactly like the studio recording or acoustic without changing the essence.

Opener El Alamein could stand as a standalone narrative, depicting an assertion of selfhood and breaking free. There are three archetypal yearning songs. Hiding in memory, My Baby’s Place is sentimental and retrospective, whilst the power chords of One & Only affirm it as a made-for-stadium anthem. The bridge highlights the impressive instrumentals that are the backbone of this album. Likewise, the emotional depth of Emailz is reinforced by a minor key. Hurracane felt like the strongest – instantly attention-grabbing with a strong melody, it stays lodged in the mind. Killing Time was texturally different with its faster pace and staccato movement. Following these, Windows is comparatively gentler as a breakup ballad. The final song, Distance, exemplifies the sense that this is a homecoming for DMA’s. It’s nostalgic and familiar, despite being entirely new.

DMA’s is not so much a change or a sonic turning point. To answer the earlier question – they have returned to their classic sound with great success. They have deployed what they know best to create a record that reflects the music they enjoy making. It’s a delight to listen to. Given that even just streaming brought to mind how it might be staged in concert, this album will undoubtedly perform very well on their upcoming February 2027 UK and Ireland tour.

Sofia Hamandi
Image: Courtesy of DMA’s

DMA’s is released on 21^st August 2026. For further information or to order the album, visit DMA’s website here.

Watch the video for Killing Time here: