You will be mistaken if you judge New York garage punk duo True Dreams by the cover of their debut album ‘No. 1‘. Sure, a very quick glance at the cover may signal 80s/90s flavored bubblegum pop, but once the needle drops all bets are off. There is a ton of spit and snarl on the 10-track album albeit with some ridiculous earworm choruses; like a Tootsie Pop with an absinthe center.
True Dreams is best friends Angela Carlucci on guitar and vocals and Hannah Nichols on drums and vocals. They bill themselves as ‘feminist punk’ and empowerment certainly runs strong through the albums’ 21 minutes, but it doesn’t come across as self-righteous. It’s just a matter of fact. Lyrically it’s like they convert their diary entries into hooky garage jams and songs like ‘Please Sir‘ and ‘Female Artists‘ are banged out with tongue planted firmly in cheek.
‘No. 1‘ is no-frills retro garage pop with flashes of Oblivians, Huggy Bear, Ramones, Cayatana, and Shannon and the Clams. Some songs seem like they are teetering on the brink of chaos only to race back into perfectly crafted pop with an irresistible hook. The dual shout-back vocals are effortless, and it’s like they finish each other’s thoughts. After about 20 listens I can’t tell you how much I love this album. But I will tell my diary.
