Too True

''Too True'' is the third and final studio album by Dum Dum Girls, released by Sub Pop on January 22, 2014 in Japan; January 27, 2014 in Europe; and January 28, 2014 worldwide. The album marked the fourth Dum Dum Girls release in a row produced by Richard Gottehrer and the Raveonettes' Sune Rose Wagner, and the fifth overall for Gottehrer. The album reached No. 138 on the UK Albums Chart.

Music

''Too True'' was compared to British alternative rock bands like Siouxsie and the Banshees, the Cure, the Stone Roses, Suede, and the Jesus and Mary Chain. The production on the album featured heavy use of reverb and multiple layers of guitars.

Background

Frontwoman Dee Dee began to write ''Too True'' while touring for ''End of Daze'', and in November 2012, she began to record the album with Gottehrer at Pet Sounds at East West Studios in Hollywood. However, Dee Dee soon realized her voice was damaged from touring, which halted recording. During this break, she rewrote lead single "Lost Boys & Girls Club" and slowly recorded the vocals herself back in New York City.

The song "Are You Okay?" was originally written and intended for Ronnie Spector but Gottehrer convinced Dee Dee to keep it for herself.

Promotion

The album and track listing were unveiled on October 31, 2013, alongside the release of the video for the first single, "Lost Boys & Girls Club," which premiered with H&M. On November 15, a teaser video for "Too True to Be Good" was released in conjunction with '' V''. The "Lost Boys & Girls Club" single was released on December 17, 2013.

The second single from the album, "Rimbaud Eyes", premiered January 11, 2014 via Sub Pop's official SoundCloud page. NPR premiered the full album on January 20 through an exclusive "first listen" stream on their website.

The band performed "Rimbaud Eyes" on '' The Late Show with David Letterman'' on January 30, 2014. This appearance marked the band's second televised performance. The entire "Too True to Be Good" video was released February 19, 2014 to promote the band's North American tour.

Critical reception

Upon its release, ''Too True'' received generally positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 72 based on 37 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". In his review published on '' The A.V. Club'', Ryan Kyle praised the album, saying that "''Too True'' finds Dee Dee enlisting a drum machine to give songs like 'Little Minx' and 'Evil Blooms' a much more rigid backbone than the band’s songs have had in the past". ''Paste'' hailed the record, stating that "Dee Dee’s voice is what stands out. It’s achingly emotive in its minimal range". '' Mojo'' qualified ''Too True'' as "a perfect pop balance of cliche and rawness, with mythic ambition and songs that make you a three-minute hero". ''Uncut'' wrote that it was "a bold album". ''No Ripcord'' criticized the album's production, stating that the band "needs to play to its strengths, rather than a production style" and asking, "What's the point of writing great riffs if you can't properly listen to them?".

Track listing

Personnel

Adapted from ''Too True'' liner notes:

* Dee Dee – vocals, bass, guitar
*Sune Rose Wagner – additional guitar, bass, drums, and synthesizer

Recorded at East West Studios, Los Angeles and The Coven, New York City.
*Engineered by Alonzo Vargas at The Orchard, New York City.
*Mastered by Joe LaPorta at Sterling Sound, New York City.

Release history

A limited number of copies of the LP version of the album were released on light blue and white spattered vinyl as a "Loser Edition."

References

{{Authority control

2014 albums
Dum Dum Girls albums