Only in Dreams (album)

Only in Dreams
Studio album by Dum Dum Girls
Released	September 26, 2011
Recorded	2011
Genre	Indie rock, shoegaze, noise pop, post-punk revival
Length	36:30
Label	Sub Pop
Producer	Richard Gottehrer & Sune Rose Wagner
Dum Dum Girls chronology
He Gets Me High (2011) Only in Dreams (2011)
Singles from Only in Dreams
"Coming Down[1]" Released: September 27, 2011 (2011-09-27) "Bedroom Eyes[2]" Released: TBA

Only in Dreams is the second album by Dum Dum Girls^[3], and was released September 26, 2011.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[4]
Consequence of Sound	[5]
The Guardian	[6]
musicOMH	[7]
New York Times	Positive[8]
NME	[9]
Pitchfork Media	7.6/10[10]
Popmatters	[11]
Rolling Stone	[12]
Spin	[13]

The album received generally positive reviews upon its release. At Metacritic, 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".^[14]

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."^[13] 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."^[10] 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."^[8] musicOMH's Gareth Ware's 4/5 review also agreed that "[Only in Dreams] showcases a remarkably assured collection of songs."^[7]

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."^[4] 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."^[11]. 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."^[5]

Track listing

All songs written and composed 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

iTunes bonus track[15]
No.	Title	Length
11.	"Crystal Baby"	2:22

Sub Pop bonus 7" vinyl[16]
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Coming Down" (Edit)	3:56
2.	"Crystal Baby"	2:22

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	September 26, 2011 (2011-09-26)	CD, digital download, LP record	Sub Pop
Canada	September 27, 2011 (2011-09-27)
United States

References

1. ^ "COMING DOWN MP3". http://wearedumdumgirls.com/2011/07/21/coming-down-mp3/. Retrieved 2011-08-26. 
2. ^ "Dum Dum Girls new single "Bedroom Eyes"". http://twitter.com/#!/SubPopWorld/status/106353696404815872. Retrieved 2011-08-26. 
3. ^ "RECORD L-U-V". http://wearedumdumgirls.com/2011/08/08/record-l-u-v/. Retrieved 2011-08-26. 
4. ^ ^{a b} Tim Sendra. "Only in Dreams, Dum Dum Girls, Allmusic". http://www.allmusic.com/album/only-in-dreams-r2266875/review. Retrieved 21 October 2011. 
5. ^ ^{a b} Joe Marvilli. "Album review: Dum Dum Girls: Only In Dreams: Consequence of Sound". http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/sep/22/dum-dum-girls-only-dreams-review. Retrieved 21 October 2011. 
6. ^ Maddy Costa. "Only in Dreams, Dum Dum Girls - review, Music, The Guardian". http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/sep/22/dum-dum-girls-only-dreams-review. Retrieved 21 October 2011. 
7. ^ ^{a b} Gareth Ware. "Dum Dum Girls, Only in Dreams - musicOMH". http://www.musicomh.com/albums/dum-dum-girls-2_0911.htm. Retrieved 21 October 2011. 
8. ^ ^{a b} Jon Caramancia. "New Albums by Dum Dum Girls". http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/04/arts/music/new-albums-by-dum-dum-girls-and-the-bangles.html?_r=1. Retrieved 21 October 2011. 
9. ^ Ben Hewitt. "NME Album Reviews - Album Review: Dum Dum Girls: Only in Dreams". http://www.nme.com/reviews/dum-dum-girls/12322. Retrieved 21 October 2011. 
10. ^ ^{a b} Lindsay Zoladz. "Dum Dum Girls: Only in Dreams, Album Review, Pitchfork Media". http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/15851-dum-dum-girls-only-in-dreams. Retrieved 21 October 2011. 
11. ^ ^{a b} AJ Ramirez. "Dum Dum Girls: Only in Dreams, Popmatters". http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/146390-dum-dum-girls-only-in-dreams/. Retrieved 21 October 2011. 
12. ^ Jon Dolan. "Only in Dreams, Album Reviews, Rolling Stone". http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/only-in-dreams-20111018. Retrieved 21 October 2011. 
13. ^ ^{a b} Joe Gross. "Only in Dreams Review: Spin". http://www.spin.com/reviews/dum-dum-girls-only-dreams-sub-pop. Retrieved 21 October 2011. 
14. ^ "Only in Dreams Reviews, Ratings, Credits and More at Metacritic". http://www.metacritic.com/music/only-in-dreams. Retrieved 21 October 2011. 
15. ^ "iTunes Store: Dum Dum Girls - Only in Dreams (Bonus Track Version)". http://itunes.apple.com/ca/preorder/only-in-dreams-bonus-track/id464348331. Retrieved 2011-09-22. 
16. ^ "Sub Pop Record: Dum Dum Girls: Only In Dreams". http://www.subpop.com/releases/dum_dum_girls/full_lengths/only_in_dreams. Retrieved 2011-09-22.