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Jan 29, 2014 Web Exclusive By J. Pace

Dee Dee Penny (or just Dee Dee now) and crew dip further than ever into the dark ‘80s wormhole with Too True, all ice-cold production and layers of chorused guitars. And look, a blue neon rose to match—paired with Dee Dee herself on the Lita Ford-style album art. It’ll either be Best Album Art or Worst when we hit 2014’s best-of list season, depending on the holiday season’s ironic/post-ironic appreciation trends. Let’s latch onto the blue color scheme instead, and let it represent a complete progression away from the much-cited Phil Spector nods and fuzz guitar, a full submission to New-Wave purposefulness. It’s stronger than ever on songs like “Rimbaud Eyes,” which wins the album, coming off like a lost Teardrop Explodes track in arrangement, propulsion, and earnestness—Dee Dee matching Julian Cope in pointed self-assurance, just crystal-clear. “Cult of Love” is some Head on the Door stuff, bouncing along with loads of atmosphere, a hint of vampy minor creepiness, enhanced with cutting bursts of guitar and perfect percussion elements. “Evil Blooms” keeps it moving with killer verses. Lilting, smoky vocals are draped over descending fuzz bass, more chorused guitars, and an extensive bridge during which Dee Dee makes good on that Madonna-as-an-influence claim. “Trouble Is My Name” opens with glacial reverb and lamentation—all “Crimson & Clover” (Joan Jett’s version), eventually throwing in a breakbeat à la vintage Stone Roses and building into a final crescendo/hook of “Trouble is my name/Is it your name too?” It is. “Too True to Be Good” has wonderful choppy verses over a clean shoegaze aesthetic, worthy of the title track spot from a pure pop-song point of view—probably the best point of view for this record, honestly. At its core, it’s just unabashed pop songwriting with some influences firmly worn on the sleeve. (www.wearedumdumgirls.com)

Author rating: 7/10