ALBUM REVIEW: DMA’S ‘LIVE AT BRIXTON’

Album review by Jonathan Taylor.

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Before the global pandemic hit and the joys of live music ground to a halt, on the 6^th March 2020, DMA’S played the biggest headline show of their career to a sold out crowd at the O2 Academy in Brixton.

The O2 Academy Brixton show was immediately hailed as one of the highlights of the band’s career so far, and it has taken on whole new significance given the events of the pandemic that followed soon after. The show’s reputation continued to gather momentum when a much wider international audience were able to watch the performance when DMA’S streamed the concert at the beginning of the first lockdown back in April 2020.

In commemoration of that celebratory night of live music the album ‘Live At Brixton’ will be released on the 5^th march.

The album opens with the beautifully energetic ‘Feels Like 37’ during which the 5000 strong crowd can be heard singing every word back to the stage. From the off and throughout the record, the sense of joy and appreciation from the sound of the audience is infectious and the affection for the band is prevalent.

From start to finish the album is an anthemic masterclass, which draws on the band’s back catalogue, with the likes of ‘Dawning’, ‘Step Up The Morphine’, ‘Tape Deck Sick’ and ‘Delete’. There are heavier periods with fan favourites ‘Play It Out’, ‘Timeless’ and ‘Lay Down’ and in stark contrast beautifully tender moments with the likes of ‘In The Air’.

Fans were also gifted the opportunity to hear new material off the band’s 3^rd studio album ‘The Glow’ which was released last year. The melodic and up lifting track ‘Silver’, title track ‘The Glow’ and ‘Hello Girlfriend’ all get an outing. ‘Life Is A Game Of Changing’ is one of the more electronic inspired album tracks on ‘The Glow’ and given the levels of production on the album version, its translation to the live stage is nothing short of triumphant.

‘Live At Brixton’ is a jubilant album which offers a chance to reminisce in the life-affirming power of live music. It captures the spirit and energy of DMA’S and the admiration from the 5000 passionate fans who spent the evening galvanised by the band’s music. Though DMA’S are from the sunnier climes of Australia, they have been truly embraced by fans on British soil and are fast becoming one of the driving forces in the tapestry of the UK music scene.

‘Live at Brixton’ tracklist: