DMA’s – “In the Moment” (Singles Going Steady)

Emmanuel Elone: DMA’s have the musical thumbprint of ’80s and ’90s indie rock groups, but they don’t let that fact hinder their personality. The rock instrumentation is lush, and the electric guitar melody in the chorus is slick as well. The vocalist sounds great under the full drums and guitar strums, and even the lyrics are decent. Most of the time, though, the instrumentation overpowers the vocalist, relegating his voice to the background of the mix. Still, “In The Moment” is a good song, and the DMA’S successfully carry on the legacy of their musical idols without becoming derivative in the process. [6/10]

Pryor Stroud: “In the Moment” is a cocksure, dripping-with-reverb wannabe Britpop anthem, but its earnestness and melodic conviction make it more than just a reward listening; this is a bonafide pop masterstroke, cut with a booming, head-toward-the-heavens chorus and crisp jangle-guitar production that could make Noel Gallagher jealous. The shimmering post-chorus guitar riff is less a sonic motif than an outright confession, a cry for help, a heart stalled in eternal diastolic expansion but that wants to contract again, and the question that lingers over it — “Is it yours now?” — reifies, with perfect ambiguity, that moment in every relationship when someone needs to make the next move but neither side wants to. [9/10]

Eric Risch: If the brothers Gallagher have yet to duff up the Britpop-obsessed DMA’s, the trio from Sydney, Australia should take a walking tour of the Baltimore neighborhoods shown in David Simon’s The Wire while here in the States for SXSW. With Tommy O’Dell resembling street dealer Frog with a popped collar, Method Man’s Cheese Wagstaff would send these smug, snot-nosed punks capable of selling the crafted-for-radio “In the Moment” back to the suburbs without incident. [4/10]

Chad Miller: The melody sounds great assisted by the pingy guitars and a cool bass line. The strength of this feel good music helps negate the impact of such direct live in the moment lyrics. There’s some occasional depth thrown in so it’s not all bad in that department though. [8/10]

Chris Ingalls: People (rightfully) accuse Oasis of being derivative, so what do you say about a band that apes Oasis? I can’t in good conscience condone anyone who’s clearly riding the Britpop train, not just because it left the station a good 15 years ago, but also because it really doesn’t age well. Fine. Let’s forget Britpop never happened (wishful thinking) and appreciate this for what it is. It’s a decent song, the chorus has a great hook, the acoustic guitars sorta evoke Johnny Marr, and hey, these guys are from Australia, nowhere near Manchester. But it’s hard to ignore the fact that they’re mimicking a genre that’s at least a decade away from a revival. Perhaps in that sense, DMA’s are way ahead of their time. [6/10]

SCORE: 6.60