DM3 are from Western Australia and make peerless powerpop. If you didn’t know that already here’s another chance to catch up.
Chances are you do already know that DM3 are Dom Mariani and (mostly) Pascal Bartalome on drums and Tony Italiano on bass. With surnames like that it’s no wonder Italy adores them as much as Berlusconi loves bunga bunga parties. You could think of DM3 as a musical version of the family-sized Neapolitan pizza: Chunky pieces of melody on a solid base of guitar - and easy on the cheese.
If you listen hard enough it will be apparent that it’s all in the hooks. Chronologically-speaking, Dom assembled this band after the ‘60s pop of The Stems and the even sweeter pop of The Someloves. Stylistically speaking, DM3 sits somewhere in-between them both.
Expressing opinions about what and what should not be on compilations is like making bets during the pre-primaries phase of the US Presidential race - it’s next to meaningless and only slightly more fun - so let’s not quibble over what didn’t make the cut. You get 18 tracks and they’re all keepers.
“West of Anywhere” covers material from the “One Time, Two Times”, “Three Red Light”, “Road To Rome” and “Rippled Soul” albums. All the obvious tracks are here with a previously unreleased version of “Please Don’t Lie” just to confound/delight completists.
You’ll have your own favourites but for mine “One Times, Two Times Devastated”, “Foolish”. “Second Floor” and “Can’t Get You Want” (ah, let’s toss in “Hold On” as well) jump out of the frame like A grade players playing against drunks in a backyard cricket match.
About the only criticism is that the liner notes talk about DM3 in the past tense. Dom Mariani might have plenty else on his plate but DM3 remain active and, are as far as I can tell, will remain so into the future, at least for as long as people have an ear for great rocking pop. Buy this and chase down the albums.
