Only in Dreams (Dum Dum Girls album)
| Only in Dreams | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 27, 2011 | |||
| Recorded | 2011 | |||
| Genre | Indie pop | |||
| Length | 36:30 | |||
| Label | Sub Pop | |||
| Producer | Richard Gottehrer and Sune Rose Wagner | |||
| Dum Dum Girls chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Only in Dreams | ||||
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Only in Dreams is the second album by Dum Dum Girls,[1] released on September 27, 2011 by Sub Pop.
Two singles were released from the album. "Coming Down" was issued for streaming on July 19, 2011, and then a 7" was given away with pre-orders and first pressings of the album, on September 27.[2] [3]
"Bedroom Eyes" was issued for streaming on August 30, 2011,[4][5] followed by a promo single distributed on September 26.
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [6] |
| Consequence of Sound | [7] |
| The Guardian | [8] |
| musicOMH | [9] |
| New York Times | Positive[10] |
| NME |   [11] |
| Pitchfork | 7.6/10[12] |
| PopMatters | [13] |
| Rolling Stone | [14] |
| Spin | [15] |
The album received generally positive reviews upon its release. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 74 based on 26 reviews, which indicates "Generally favorable reviews".[16]
Spin awarded the album a rating of 8 out of 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 death."[15] In Lindsay Zoladz's 7.6-out-of-10 review, Pitchfork 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."[12] The New York Times echoed this viewpoint in Jon Caramanica's positive review, which stated, "Only in Dreams ... 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."[10] musicOMH's Gareth Ware's 4-out-of-5 review also agreed that "[Only in Dreams] showcases a remarkably assured collection of songs."[9]
AllMusic was more critical of the Dum Dum Girls' 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."[6] PopMatters wasn't impressed with the overall sound of the album, saying, "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.".[13] Joe Marvilli from Consequence of Sound, in a negative review, felt thatOnly in Dreams needed more variety, stating, "You can only take so many variations of the same theme."[7]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Dee Dee
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Always Looking" | 2:21 |
| 2. | "Bedroom Eyes" | 3:58 |
| 3. | "Just a Creep" | 2:56 |
| 4. | "In My Head" | 3:48 |
| 5. | "Heartbeat (Take It Away)" | 2:51 |
| 6. | "Caught in One" | 3:44 |
| 7. | "Coming Down" | 6:28 |
| 8. | "Wasted Away" | 3:39 |
| 9. | "Teardrops on My Pillow" | 2:49 |
| 10. | "Hold Your Hand" | 3:56 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Crystal Baby" | 2:22 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Coming Down" (Edit) | 3:56 |
| 2. | "Crystal Baby" | 2:22 |
Personnel
Engineered by Alonzo Vargas, with assistance from Justin Smith. Mixed by Alonzo Vargas. Mastered by Joe LaPorta.
Release history
| Country | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | September 26, 2011 | CD, digital download, LP record | Sub Pop |
| Canada | September 27, 2011 | ||
| United States |
The first 1,900 copies of the LP version of the album were released on light pink vinyl as a "Loser Edition".[19]
References
- ^ "RECORD L-U-V". Retrieved 2011-08-26.
- ^ https://pitchfork.com/news/43228-new-dum-dum-girls-coming-down/
- ^ "COMING DOWN MP3". Retrieved 2011-08-26.
- ^ "Dum Dum Girls new single "Bedroom Eyes"". Retrieved 2011-08-26.
- ^ https://pitchfork.com/news/43842-new-dum-dum-girls-bedroom-eyes/
- ^ a b Tim Sendra. "Only in Dreams, Dum Dum Girls, AllMusic". Retrieved 21 October 2011.
- ^ a b Joe Marvilli (22 September 2011). "Album review: Dum Dum Girls: Only In Dreams: Consequence of Sound". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 21 October 2011.
- ^ Maddy Costa (22 September 2011). "Only in Dreams, Dum Dum Girls - review, Music, The Guardian". London. Retrieved 21 October 2011.
- ^ a b Gareth Ware. "Dum Dum Girls, Only in Dreams - musicOMH". Retrieved 21 October 2011.
- ^ a b Jon Caramancia (3 October 2011). "New Albums by Dum Dum Girls". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 October 2011.
- ^ Ben Hewitt. "NME Album Reviews - Album Review: Dum Dum Girls: Only in Dreams". Retrieved 21 October 2011.
- ^ a b Lindsay Zoladz. "Dum Dum Girls: Only in Dreams, Album Review, Pitchfork". Retrieved 21 October 2011.
- ^ a b AJ Ramirez. "Dum Dum Girls: Only in Dreams, PopMatters". Retrieved 21 October 2011.
- ^ Jon Dolan. "Only in Dreams, Album Reviews, Rolling Stone". Retrieved 21 October 2011.
- ^ a b Joe Gross. "Only in Dreams Review: Spin". Retrieved 21 October 2011.
- ^ "Only in Dreams Reviews, Ratings, Credits and More at Metacritic". Retrieved 21 October 2011.
- ^ "iTunes Store: Dum Dum Girls - Only in Dreams (Bonus Track Version)". Retrieved 2011-09-22.
- ^ "Sub Pop Record: Dum Dum Girls: Only In Dreams". Retrieved 2011-09-22.
- ^ "Sub Pop records: Loser Edition FAQ". Sub Pop. Archived from the original on 2012-08-16. Retrieved 2011-09-18.