Saint Dymphna (album)

Saint Dymphna is the self-produced fourth studio album by American experimental music band Gang Gang Dance. Released in 2008 by The Social Registry, it would be the final album for the label, before moving on to 4AD for 2011's lauded Eye Contact. It received positive reviews from critics.

Saint Dymphna
Studio album by
Gang Gang Dance
Released5 September 2008
RecordedMid-2008
Genre
Length44:09
Label
ProducerTim DeWitt
Gang Gang Dance chronology
RAWWAR
(2007)		 Saint Dymphna
(2008)		 Kamakura
(2010)
Singles from Saint Dymphna
  1. "House Jam"
    Released: 11 September 2008
  2. "First Communion"
    Released: 16 March 2009

The record would also mark the departure of founding drummer Tim DeWitt, who would be replaced by Jesse Lee for their next full-length work.

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic78/100[8]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[7]
The A.V. ClubB−[2]
Blender[9]
The Boston Phoenix[10]
The Guardian[1]
The Irish Times[4]
Pitchfork8.5/10[11]
Q[12]
Rolling Stone[3]
Spin[6]

Media response to Saint Dymphna was generally positive; aggregating website Metacritic reported a normalised rating of 78 out of 100 in October 2008 based on 27 critical reviews.[8] Drowned in Sound's John Semple praised Gang Gang Dance's expansion of their sonic palette and noted that the album offers "genuine moments of hope and salvation amongst the unrest".[13] Marc Masters of Pitchfork claimed that "the newfound clarity produces neither thinness nor tedium, but simply a direct, unadulterated power".[11] AllMusic's Thom Jurek explained that the record is unique and the band's most fully realised project to date.[7] These positive comments were encapsulated by Jody White of No Ripcord, who gave the album a maximum rating of ten out of ten by praising the band for a memorable album full of challenging and genre-defining sounds.[14]

Slant Magazine's M. Clark gave Saint Dymphna a rating of three-and-a-half stars out of five, one of the lowest that it received from notable publications, and commented that Gang Gang Dance's energy "often falls flat and their eclecticism is more distracting than compelling".[15] Critic Robert Christgau described the album in an Honorable Mention review as "soundscape dance-rock more artful than arty."[5] Maddy Costa of The Guardian also suggested that the album is eclectic, but gave it a favourable rating by concluding that it is "arranged with exquisite precision".[1] Reed Fischer of Paste claimed that the record is "a dangerously sane blueprint for producers trying to capture what "futuristic" sounds like right now".[16] Saint Dymphna figured highly in several end-of-year best album lists for 2008, notably, at number three by Cokemachineglow,[17] at number five by The Wire,[17] at number nine by Tiny Mix Tapes,[17] and at number 13 by Drowned in Sound.[18] It was named Best Album of 2008 by FACT.[19]

Track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Bebey"4:53
2."First Communion"3:05
3."Blue Nile"3:10
4."Vacuum"4:13
5."Princes" (featuring Tinchy Stryder)4:26
6."Inners Pace"4:16
7."Afoot"3:25
8."House Jam"4:45
9."Interlude (No Known Home)"1:16
10."Desert Storm"5:10
11."Dust"5:30
Japanese edition bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
12."House Jam" (XXXChange Remix)4:59
13."House Jam" (Hot Chip Remix)7:01

Release history
Region Date Label Format(s) Catalog
Japan 5 September 2008 P-Vine Records CD PCD-22316[20]
United Kingdom 20 October 2008 Warp CD, digital download, LP WARP171[21]
United States 21 October 2008 The Social Registry TSR050[22]

References
  1. Costa, Maddy (October 17, 2008). "Electronic review: Gang Gang Dance: Saint Dymphna". The Guardian. Retrieved July 25, 2009.
  2. Mincher, Chris (October 20, 2008). "Gang Gang Dance: Saint Dymphna". The A.V. Club. Retrieved July 25, 2009.
  3. Hermes, Will (October 30, 2008). "Gang Gang Dance: Saint Dymphna". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 22, 2008. Retrieved July 25, 2009.
  4. Carroll, Jim (November 7, 2008). "Gang Gang Dance: Saint Dymphna (Warp)". The Irish Times. Retrieved July 25, 2009.
  5. Christgau, Robert. "Gang Gang Dance". Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  6. Beta, Andy (November 2008). "Gang Gang Dance: Saint Dymphna". Spin. 24 (11): 91. Retrieved July 25, 2009.
  7. Jurek, Thom. "Saint Dymphna – Gang Gang Dance". AllMusic. Retrieved July 25, 2009.
  8. "Reviews for Saint Dymphna by Gang Gang Dance". Metacritic. Retrieved July 25, 2009.
  9. "Gang Gang Dance: Saint Dymphna". Blender (75): 74. November 2008.
  10. Brockman, Daniel (October 28, 2008). "Gang Gang Dance | Saint Dymphna". The Boston Phoenix. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
  11. Masters, Marc (October 20, 2008). "Gang Gang Dance: Saint Dymphna". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 25, 2009.
  12. "Gang Gang Dance: Saint Dymphna". Q (268): 117. November 2008.
  13. Semple, John (December 5, 2008). "Gang Gang Dance: Saint Dymphna". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on August 13, 2009. Retrieved July 25, 2009.
  14. White, Jody (January 15, 2009). "Gang Gang Dance: Saint Dymphna". No Ripcord. Retrieved July 25, 2009.
  15. Clark, M. (November 13, 2008). "Gang Gang Dance: Saint Dymphna". Slant Magazine. Retrieved July 25, 2009.
  16. Fischer, Reed (January 14, 2009). "Gang Gang Dance: Saint Dymphna (The Social Registry)". Paste. Retrieved July 25, 2009.
  17. "Best of 2008: Music Critics' Year-End Top Ten Lists". Metacritic. Retrieved July 25, 2009.
  18. Adams, Sean (December 11, 2008). "Drowned in Sound's 50 albums of 2008". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on August 24, 2011. Retrieved July 25, 2009.
  19. FACT staff (December 19, 2008). "20 best: albums of 2008". FACT. Archived from the original on March 3, 2009. Retrieved July 25, 2009.
  20. Saint Dymphna (CD case back cover). Gang Gang Dance. Tokyo: P-Vine Records. 2008.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  21. Saint Dymphna (CD booklet and case back cover). Gang Gang Dance. London: Warp. 2008.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  22. Saint Dymphna (CD case back cover). Gang Gang Dance. New York City: The Social Registry. 2008.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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