A Dream Is All We Know

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. 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.

The album, which was released to favorable reviews from critics, draws sonic inspiration from late-1960s power pop and progressive rock. 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. Despite the more upbeat tone, the lyrics also reference fears of not achieving one's potential and the elusiveness of dreams. Musical styles of the album's songs include power pop ("My Golden Years") and doo-wop ("In the Eyes of the Girl"). The D'Addarios cited the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Association, Sagittarius, and Tages as some of their 1960s pop inspirations for the album. 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.

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. Sean Ono Lennon recorded and co-produced the track, "In the Eyes of the Girl" at his upstate New York studio. 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.

Critical reception
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". 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". 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."

The Guardian listed A Dream Is All We Know as one of their best albums from the first half of 2024.

Personnel
The Lemon Twigs
 * Brian D'Addario – vocals, drums (1, 3–5, 8, 10–12), bass (3–5, 8, 10–12), electric guitar (2–5, 7, 8, 10, 12), acoustic guitar (7–9, 11), 12-string guitar (3, 6, 7, 9, 10), mandolin (11), all keyboards, all strings and horns (except track 9), orchestral arrangements, mixing
 * Michael D'Addario – vocals, drums (2, 6, 7), bass (1, 2, 7), rhythm guitar (1, 10, 12), lead guitar (3, 12), acoustic guitar (1, 3), 12 string (1), mixing, engineering

Additional work
 * Sean Ono Lennon – co-producer (6)
 * Paul D. Millar – mastering at Bug Sound
 * Scout Hull – mastering at Masterdisk
 * Eva Chambers – art direction and photography
 * Scott Hollingsworth – engineering (6)
 * Matthew Cullen – engineering (6)
 * Rias Reed – engineering (9)

Additional musicians
 * Sean Ono Lennon – bass (6)
 * Daryl Johns – upright bass (9)
 * Andres Valbuena – drums (9)
 * Otis Harriel – violin (9)
 * Yuri Kye – violin (9)
 * Rachyl Martinez – viola (9)
 * Doug Machiz – cello (9)
 * Paul D. Millar – flange (10)