Only in Dreams (album)
Encyclopedia
Only in Dreams is the second album by Dum Dum Girls
, and was released September 26, 2011.
, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 75 based on 10 reviews, which indicates "Generally favorable reviews".
Spin
awarded the album a rating of 8/10, writing, "Gundred's richer-than-you-expect voice is the key to these jagged little pillows, whether dryly noting that a guy's 'Just a Creep,' soaring on 'Coming Down,' or lacing her echoes with sorrow on 'Hold Your Hand,' a reflection on her mother's passing." In Lindsay Zoladz's 7.6 out of 10 review, Pitchfork Media
lauded the album's melodic risks within the genre of garage rock revival, "Only in Dreams isn't a perfect record, but a little while down the line it might end up looking like the beginning of something-- the first steps forward for the band, or perhaps a raising of the bar for this entire revival. I wouldn't put it past Dee Dee to be the leader of the pack." The New York Times echoed this viewpoint in Jon Caramancia's positive review stating "Only in Dream ... seethes with a beautiful, raging confidence, louder and fuller than anything they’ve done before, and better than the onetime peers they’re leaving behind." musicOMH
s Gareth Ware's 4/5 review also agreed that "[Only in Dreams] showcases a remarkably assured collection of songs."
Allmusic was more critical of the Dum Dum Girl's new direction, "All this realness could be a deal breaker especially since Only in Dreams isn’t a fun and immediately enjoyable album like I Will Be
was." Popmatters
wasn't impressed with the overall sound of the album, "Everything is layered and burnished into an eardrum-blasting sameness. There are no standouts or outright bombs, just 10 Dum Dum Girls songs; no more, no less.". Joe Marvilli from Consequence of Sound
, in his negative review also states that Only in Dreams needed more variety, "you can only take so many variations of the same theme."
Engineered by Alanza Vargas, with assistance from Justin Smith. Mixed by Alanza Vargas. Mastered by Joe Laporta.
Dum Dum Girls
Dum Dum Girls are an American indie pop band from California that formed in 2008. Their name comes from both The Vaselines' album Dum Dum and the Iggy Pop song "Dum Dum Boys"...
, and was released September 26, 2011.
Critical reception
The album received generally positive reviews upon its release. At MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 75 based on 10 reviews, which indicates "Generally favorable reviews".
Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
awarded the album a rating of 8/10, writing, "Gundred's richer-than-you-expect voice is the key to these jagged little pillows, whether dryly noting that a guy's 'Just a Creep,' soaring on 'Coming Down,' or lacing her echoes with sorrow on 'Hold Your Hand,' a reflection on her mother's passing." In Lindsay Zoladz's 7.6 out of 10 review, Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
lauded the album's melodic risks within the genre of garage rock revival, "Only in Dreams isn't a perfect record, but a little while down the line it might end up looking like the beginning of something-- the first steps forward for the band, or perhaps a raising of the bar for this entire revival. I wouldn't put it past Dee Dee to be the leader of the pack." The New York Times echoed this viewpoint in Jon Caramancia's positive review stating "Only in Dream ... seethes with a beautiful, raging confidence, louder and fuller than anything they’ve done before, and better than the onetime peers they’re leaving behind." musicOMH
MusicOMH
musicOMH is a United Kingdom-based website which publishes independent reviews, featues and interviews from across all musical genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B.-History:...
s Gareth Ware's 4/5 review also agreed that "[Only in Dreams] showcases a remarkably assured collection of songs."
Allmusic was more critical of the Dum Dum Girl's new direction, "All this realness could be a deal breaker especially since Only in Dreams isn’t a fun and immediately enjoyable album like I Will Be
I Will Be
"I Will Be" is a song by British singer Leona Lewis. In 2007, and released it as her third and final single from her debut album, Spirit in North America....
was." Popmatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
wasn't impressed with the overall sound of the album, "Everything is layered and burnished into an eardrum-blasting sameness. There are no standouts or outright bombs, just 10 Dum Dum Girls songs; no more, no less.". Joe Marvilli from Consequence of Sound
Consequence of Sound
Consequence of Sound, also known often as CoS, is a Chicago-based music website featuring news, album and concert reviews, and editorials. In addition, the website also features the Festival Outlook micro-site, which serves as an on-line database for music festival news and rumors...
, in his negative review also states that Only in Dreams needed more variety, "you can only take so many variations of the same theme."
Track listing
Personnel
- Dee-Dee (vocals/guitar)
- Jules (guitar/vocals)
- Bambi (bass/vocals)
- Sandy (drums/vocals)
Engineered by Alanza Vargas, with assistance from Justin Smith. Mixed by Alanza Vargas. Mastered by Joe Laporta.
Release history
| Country | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | CD, digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... , LP record LP record The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry... |
Sub Pop Sub Pop Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene... |
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| Canada | |||
| United States | |||