A Dream Is All We Know

Last updated

A Dream Is All We Know
A Dream Is All We Know.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedMay 3, 2024 (2024-05-03)
Genre Power pop [1]
Length34:23
Label Captured Tracks
Producer The Lemon Twigs
The Lemon Twigs chronology
Everything Harmony
(2023)
A Dream Is All We Know
(2024)
Singles from A Dream Is All We Know
  1. "My Golden Years"
    Released: January 2, 2024
  2. "They Don't Know How to Fall in Place"
    Released: February 7, 2024
  3. "A Dream is All I Know"
    Released: March 13, 2024
  4. "How Can I Love Her More"
    Released: April 9, 2024

A Dream Is All We Know is the fifth studio album by American rock band the Lemon Twigs, released on May 3, 2024, through Captured Tracks. [2] The album's songs were all written, performed, and produced by the two D'Addario brothers themselves, although one of the tracks was co-produced with Sean Ono Lennon and features him on bass guitar. [1]

Contents

The album, which was released to favorable reviews from critics, draws sonic inspiration from late-1960s power pop and progressive rock. [1] The brothers released four singles in early 2024, leading up to the release of A Dream Is All We Know.

Composition and recording

According to band member Michael D'Addario, A Dream Is All We Know is "more whimsical" than their previous album, Everything Harmony . [3] Despite the more upbeat tone, the lyrics also reference fears of not achieving one's potential and the elusiveness of dreams. [3] Musical styles of the album's songs include power pop ("My Golden Years") [4] and doo-wop ("In the Eyes of the Girl"). [3] The D'Addarios cited the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Association and Sagittarius as some of their 1960s pop inspirations for the album. [5] Brian cited Roy Wood's mid-1970s albums Boulders and Mustard as inspiration to perform his own horn and string arrangements on A Dream Is All We Know. [6] [1] The experimental nature of Swedish pop group Tages' 1967 album Studio was additionally cited as a strong influence in the recording of the album. [5] [7]

A Dream Is All We Know was recorded in the band's small studio in north Brooklyn, using tape and other analog effects like spring reverb. [8] [9] Sean Ono Lennon recorded and co-produced the track, "In the Eyes of the Girl" at his upstate New York studio. [10] Ten of the 12 tracks on A Dream Is All We Know were recorded after Everything Harmony; "Ember Days" was recorded during the Everything Harmony sessions, and "If You and I Are Not Wise" dated back several years. [9] [11]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 80/100 [12]
Review scores
SourceRating
NME Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [13]
Far Out Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [14]
The List Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [15]
The Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [16]
The Telegraph Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [17]

A Dream Is All We Know received a score of 80 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on 13 critics' reviews, which the website categorized as "generally favorable". [12] NME characterized the album as "much sunnier" than its predecessor and based around "Beach Boys harmonies and off-kilter melodies (think the Beatles when they were starting to get weird)", though also showing glimpses of "a future way beyond their influences". [13] Far Out praised it as "a firm and fully realised album executed with certainty. It might not be absolutely perfect, but overall, the stunning performances eclipse any blemishes." [14]

The Guardian listed A Dream Is All We Know as one of their best albums from the first half of 2024. [18] Anthony Fantano ranked "My Golden Years" at number 13 on his year-end list of best singles from 2024. [19]

Year-end lists

Select year-end rankings for A Dream Is All We Know
Publication/criticAccoladeRankRef.
MOJO 75 Best Albums of 20248 [20]
Rough Trade UK Albums of the Year 202439 [21]
Anthony FantanoTop 50 Albums of 202439 [22]

Track listing

All tracks are written by the Lemon Twigs. All songs produced and mixed by the Lemon Twigs, except track 6 produced by the Lemon Twigs and Sean Ono Lennon.

A Dream Is All We Know track listing
No.TitleLead vocalsLength
1."My Golden Years"Michael3:13
2."They Don't Know How to Fall in Place"Brian3:33
3."Church Bells"Michael2:07
4."A Dream Is All I Know"Brian3:43
5."Sweet Vibration"Brian2:48
6."In the Eyes of the Girl"Michael3:04
7."If You and I Are Not Wise"Brian and Michael2:41
8."How Can I Love Her More"Michael2:48
9."Ember Days"Brian2:55
10."Peppermint Roses"Michael2:32
11."I Should've Known Right from the Start"Brian2:36
12."Rock On (Over and Over)"Michael2:21
Total length:34:23
7" flexi-disc bonus track [23] [24]
No.TitleLead vocalsLength
13."Gifts"Brian3:13

Personnel

Charts

Chart performance for A Dream Is All We Know
Chart (2024)Peak
position
Japanese Hot Albums ( Billboard Japan ) [25] 82
Scottish Albums (OCC) [26] 9
UK Album Downloads (OCC) [27] 24
UK Independent Albums (OCC) [28] 7

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References

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