Dum Dum Girls frontwoman Dee Dee tends to favour dark emotional terrain in her songs, and her third full-length once again finds her wallowing in gothic, mascara-streaked melancholia. Too True gets off to a dark start, as opener "Cult of Love" is laced with surf-noir guitar leads and sullenly dead-eyed vocals. Elsewhere, "In the Wake of You" is steeped in romantic longing, and the slo-mo rock anthem "Lost Boys and Club" contains the lyric, "Your eyes are black X's of hate and of hexes."
But despite the persistent gloom-mongering, these ten tracks aren't overly depressing, since the punchy drum machine rhythms are infectious and the dazzling pop melodies are the catchiest in Dum Dum Girls' repertoire. Once again, producer Richard "I Want Candy" Gottehrer (Blondie, the Go-Go's) and Sune Rose Wagner (of the Raveonettes) capture her fuzzy, reverb-laced style perfectly. No matter how many times Dee Dee alludes to heartbreak and ritualistic evil, Too True is a joyful career pinnacle.
(Sub Pop)But despite the persistent gloom-mongering, these ten tracks aren't overly depressing, since the punchy drum machine rhythms are infectious and the dazzling pop melodies are the catchiest in Dum Dum Girls' repertoire. Once again, producer Richard "I Want Candy" Gottehrer (Blondie, the Go-Go's) and Sune Rose Wagner (of the Raveonettes) capture her fuzzy, reverb-laced style perfectly. No matter how many times Dee Dee alludes to heartbreak and ritualistic evil, Too True is a joyful career pinnacle.
