When DMA's signed to Australian indie label I OH YOU this February, the Newtown trio was so freshly minted that they hadn't even played a show yet. That isn't to say they were totally green--all three members (Tommy O', Matt Mason, and Johnny Took) had gigged extensively with previous bands--and under their new moniker, DMA's nonchalantly released a debut single called "Delete" and a self-tited EP a month after signing to the label. At first glance, they seem like tough guys, wearing flipped-up ball caps, slouchy sweatpants, and matching thousand-yard disenchanted gazes. But DMA's doesn't make spacey alt-hip hop. On the contrary! Channeling the lighter side of 90s garage rock, the group grounds its sound in nostalgic, bleeding vocals that can't help but cull feeling out of a song. The latest single, "So We Know," hits new highs of gravelly, emotional vocal prowess. A mostly unadorned guitar swirls absentmindedly in the background, highlighted lightly by strings. It's a successful experiment in the emotive power of a simple ballad, carried out by a band that--though they've been around for less than a year--trusts their melody enough to lay it bare. No frills needed. Listen to the poignant new track "So We Know," which will be included on a forthcoming 7" from DMA's, below:

TRACK REVIEWDMA's "So We Know"