Ultraviolet Battle Hymns and True Confessions
Ultraviolet Battle Hymns and True Confessions is a 2022 studio album by American rock band The Dream Syndicate. It has received positive reviews from critics for expanding the band's sound.
Reception
Editors at AllMusic rated this album 4 out of 5 stars, with critic Mark Deming writing that this album is "every bit as imaginative and uncompromising as what they conjured when they were noisy heroes of the paisley underground" in the 1980s and that the band drew on progressive rock influences for "mood and atmosphere". At Paste, Eric R. Danton rated this album a 7.4 out of 10, calling this a "return to form" after the experimental rock of 2020's The Universe Inside, while still retaining stylistic variation with "something here for any Dream Syndicate fan". Writing for Spill Magazine, Ljubinko Zivkovic scored this release an 8 out of 10, summing up that "the band has gained an extra edge, coming up with a batch of their most memorable songs in recent times". Uncuts Sharon O'Connell gave Ultraviolet Battle Hymns and True Confessions an 8 out of 10, writing that chosen to "evolve rather than preserve their psychedelic/country pop sound by introducing notes of R&B, funkand, jazz, andleaning into early Floyd".Track listing
All songs written by Steve Wynn, except where noted- "Where I’ll Stand" – 5:18
- "Damian" – 4:21
- "Beyond Control" – 5:56
- "The Chronicles of You" – 2:52
- "Hard to Say Goodbye" – 5:08
- "Every Time You Come Around" – 3:46
- "Trying to Get Over – 3:36
- "Lesson Number One" – 4:20
- "My Lazy Mind" – 5:06
- "Straight Lines" – 4:51
Personnel
The Dream Syndicate- Steve Wynn – rhythm guitar, lead vocals, production, photography
- Dennis Duck – drums, backing vocals, production
- Mark Walton – bass guitar, backing vocals, production
- Jason Victor – lead guitar, backing vocals, production
- Chris Cacavas – keyboards, production
- John Agnello – recording; mixing at The Rabbit Hole, Raleigh, North Carolina, US; production
- Greg Calbi – audio mastering at Sterling Sound Edgewater, New Jersey, US
- Steve Fallone – audio mastering at Sterling Sound Edgewater, New Jersey, US
- Alex Hornsby – artwork
- Stephen McCarthy – backing vocals
- Adrian Olsen – recording
- Linda Pitmon – backing vocals
- Alexandra Spalding – backing vocals
- Marcus Tenney's – saxophone, trumpet