Dark in Here is the 20th studio album by indie folk band the Mountain Goats, released June 25, 2021 through Merge Records.[1] The album was recorded in March 2020, just one week after Getting Into Knives (2020), at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.[8] Dark in Here was produced by Matt Ross-Spang, who also produced Getting Into Knives and engineered In League with Dragons (2019).[1] In addition to being available on streaming and download services, the album was released physically on CD and vinyl.
| Dark in Here | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 25, 2021 | |||
| Recorded | March 9–14, 2020[1] | |||
| Studio | FAME (Muscle Shoals, Alabama) | |||
| Length | 46:45 | |||
| Label | Merge | |||
| Producer | Matt Ross-Spang | |||
| The Mountain Goats chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Dark in Here | ||||
| ||||
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 80/100[2] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| American Songwriter |  [4] |
| Paste | 8.3/10[5] |
| Pitchfork | 7.8/10[6] |
| PopMatters | 7/10[1] |
| Rolling Stone | [7] |
The album's lead single, "Mobile", featuring organists Spooner Oldham and Will McFarlane, was released on April 20, 2021.[9] "The Slow Parts on Death Metal Albums" was released on May 11, 2021, and the title track "Dark in Here" was released as the final single on June 3, 2021.
The album's cover art is a portion of the painting Valborgsmässoafton i Bergslagen, Grangärde i Dalarna ("Walpurgis Night in Bergslagen, Grandgärde in Dalarna") by Anshelm Schultzberg (1896).[10]
Accolades
edit| Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paste | The 50 Best Albums of 2021 | 43
|
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by John Darnielle
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Parisian Enclave" | 1:25 |
| 2. | "The Destruction of the Kola Superdeep Borehole Tower" | 3:20 |
| 3. | "Mobile" | 3:42 |
| 4. | "Dark in Here" | 3:23 |
| 5. | "Lizard Suit" | 4:15 |
| 6. | "When a Powerful Animal Comes" | 5:26 |
| 7. | "To the Headless Horseman" | 3:54 |
| 8. | "The New Hydra Collection" | 2:28 |
| 9. | "The Slow Parts on Death Metal Albums" | 5:26 |
| 10. | "Before I Got There" | 4:14 |
| 11. | "Arguing with the Ghost of Peter Laughner About His Coney Island Baby Review" | 3:57 |
| 12. | "Let Me Bathe in Demonic Light" | 5:10 |
| Total length: | 46:45 | |
Personnel
editThe Mountain Goats
- John Darnielle – guitars, vocals, piano
- Peter Hughes – bass
- Jon Wurster – drums, percussion
- Matt Douglas – woodwinds, piano, guitar
Additional personnel
- Spooner Oldham – Hammond B-3, Wurlitzer organ
- Will McFarlane – guitar
- Susan Marshall – vocal harmony
- Reba Russell – vocal harmony
Production
- Matt Ross-Spang – production, engineering
- Shana Gandhi – mixing
- John Lee Gifford – production assistant
- Brent Lambert – mastering (The Kitchen Mastering, Carrboro, North Carolina)
Charts
edit| Chart (2021) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Americana/Folk Albums (Billboard)[12] | 6 |
| US Independent Albums (Billboard)[13] | 40 |
| US Top Album Sales (Billboard)[14] | 16 |
| US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[15] | 46 |
References
edit- ^ a b c d Conaton, Chris (June 23, 2021). "The Mountain Goats say it's 'Dark in Here'". PopMatters. Archived from the original on June 23, 2021. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
- ^ "Critic Reviews for Dark in Here - Metacritic". Metacritic. Archived from the original on June 27, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
- ^ Deming, Mark (July 2, 2021). "Dark in Here – The Mountain Goats". AllMusic. Archived from the original on July 8, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
- ^ Zimmerman, Lee (June 28, 2021). "The Mountain Goats Dig Into Darkness on 'Dark In Here'". American Songwriter. Archived from the original on July 3, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
- ^ Crump, Andy (June 25, 2021). "It's Getting 'Dark in Here' for The Mountain Goats". Paste. Archived from the original on June 25, 2021. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
- ^ Mitchell, Matt (June 30, 2021). "The Mountain Goats: Dark in Here Album Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on June 30, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
- ^ Dolan, Jon (June 29, 2021). "Mountain Goats Mix Terror and Beauty on 'Dark in Here'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 29, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
- ^ Willis, Joey (June 24, 2021). "The Mountain Goats move across the musical map on 'Dark in Here' (Album Review)". Glide Magazine. Archived from the original on June 27, 2021. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
- ^ Turman, Katherine (April 19, 2021). "The Mountain Goats Share 'Mobile' Single Ahead Of New 'Dark In Here' LP". Spin. Archived from the original on April 25, 2021. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
- ^ "Dark in Here". Bandcamp. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
- ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2021". Paste. November 29, 2021. Archived from the original on November 29, 2021. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
- ^ "Americana/Folk Albums: July 10, 2021". Billboard. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
- ^ "Independent Albums: July 10, 2021". Billboard. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
- ^ "Top Album Sales: July 10, 2021". Billboard. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
- ^ "Top Rock Albums: July 10, 2021". Billboard. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
External links
edit- Dark in Here at Discogs (list of releases)