Too True (Sub Pop) arrives as the third full-length release from the Dum Dum Girls and in a sense represents the fulfillment of the four-piece’s potential. Initially the lo-fi recording project of Dee Dee Penny, the Dum Dum Girls released their debut album, I Will Be, in 2010 and quickly distinguished themselves among the surge of female-fronted garage-pop bands generating buzz around that time. The band’s sound became more focused on their sophomore LP, Only In Dreams, but the its recorded output almost completely halted following that album’s release in late 2011, with only one EP arriving between then and now.

But any doubts about the Girls’ ability to continue on are put to rest with Too True. The album builds upon the sound of its predecessor, featuring the same consistently solid songwriting, while moving toward a slightly darker feel than that found in the group’s previous work. Songs like “Cult Of Love” and “Evil Blooms,” for instance, have a sort of grayness lurking about them (beyond the song titles) that brings an added dimension to the group’s pop sensibilities. Indeed, at times it seems as if there’s more than a couple of Joy Division hints here. Amidst this, the band stays true to its lo-fi roots, most notably with the crunchy guitars found in “Little Minx,” while being unafraid to branch out, as in the breezily anthemic “Too True To Be Good.” The majestic album closer “Trouble Is My Name” brings the record to a fitting conclusion with its wistful, yet jagged hook and demonstrates that the Dum Dum Girls have not only fully realized what the band is capable of, but also found a way to excel at it.