Release Date: 29/11/19
Record Label: San Promotion
For Fans Of: Blossoms, Mystery Jets
All music is greeted into the world with the label of a genre, where it lives out its days surrounded by like-minded releases. The strength of debut EP Imposter Syndrome from DMS is that placing it within one style of music is a near impossible task; trust me, I tried. The Edinburgh five-piece cite influences such as Nirvana, Prince and Hadouken, amongst others, and it makes for an exciting, infectious sound that dabbles in a variety of genres.
Imposter Syndrome has a real freshness to it, in the way that it boldly blurs the lines between genres with relative ease. The opening track ‘Tight Jeans’ has an almost party indie feel to it, combined with an electro aspect that continues through the release. ‘Vain’ is another example of this approach, it has a real 80’s vibe coursing through it while maintaining the electro undercurrent to the EP. Meanwhile, ‘Howl’ perhaps feels like the odd one out on Imposter Syndrome in this aspect. The song is not lacking in quality but isn’t as enthused with other styles of music as other tracks, and it’s a style that I quickly became fond of.
What unites all of the tracks is the sheer perfection of frontman John Keenan’s vocals throughout. Early in ‘Tight Jeans’ Keenan sings “Throw your toys out the pram when the crowd’s not that into you” but it’s hard to see that being a reality at any live shows DMS play after the release of this EP. ‘Dirt’, as well as showcasing all of the aforementioned styles, shows a more refined aspect of what the band have to offer. That doesn’t mean the tempo drops or the freshness lessens, but it’s the mature track of them all.
When listening to Imposter Syndrome, it’s hard not to recognise the energy of what DMS have created. From the pulsating ‘Tight Jeans’ to the anthemic ‘Howl’, the entire EP is bursting at the seams with energy, and it’s infectious. It’s an EP that makes your toes tap from the get-go and doesn’t let up until the very last note.
As debut EP’s go, Imposter Syndrome is a terrific effort. DMS appear to have a natural ability to blur the lines between genres and produce exciting tracks that are hard to put your finger on. It’s new, it’s fresh, and it’s a promising sign of things to come.
Rating: 7/10
Recommended Tracks: ‘Tight Jeans’, ‘Vain’
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