DD Smash – The Optimist (VG/VG+) – LP, AU 1984

The Optimist is an LP by DD Smash from 1984 released on the Mushroom label.

About this album

The Optimist is a sharp, melodic pop-rock album that shows DD Smash balancing wit, energy and strong hooks with real commercial appeal. Released in 1984, it captured the New Zealand band at a moment when local rock was finding a wider audience, with Dave Dobbyn’s songwriting giving the record its centre of gravity. Built on polished arrangements, punchy rhythms and memorable choruses, the album includes some of the group’s best-known material, including Magic What She Do, Whaling and Don’t Give Up. Its mix of rock drive and pop immediacy helped establish DD Smash as one of New Zealand’s defining mainstream acts of the era.

Genre: Pop & Rock