Dark in Here

Last updated

Dark in Here
The Mountain Goats - Dark in Here album cover.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 25, 2021 (2021-06-25)
RecordedMarch 9–14, 2020 [1]
Studio FAME Studios
(Muscle Shoals, Alabama)
Length46:45
Label Merge
Producer Matt Ross-Spang
The Mountain Goats chronology
Getting Into Knives
(2020)
Dark in Here
(2021)
Bleed Out
(2022)
Singles from Dark in Here
  1. "Mobile"
    Released: April 20, 2021
  2. "The Slow Parts on Death Metal Albums"
    Released: May 11, 2021
  3. "Dark in Here"
    Released: June 3, 2021
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 80/100 [2]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]
American Songwriter Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Paste 8.3/10 [5]
Pitchfork 7.8/10 [6]
PopMatters 7/10 [1]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [7]

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.

Contents

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

Dark in Here on year-end lists
PublicationListRankRef.
Paste The 50 Best Albums of 2021
43

Track listing

All tracks are written by John Darnielle

Dark in Here track listing
No.TitleLength
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

The Mountain Goats

Additional personnel

Production

Charts

Chart performance for Dark in Here
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

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References

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  2. "Critic Reviews for Dark in Here - Metacritic". Metacritic . Archived from the original on June 27, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  3. Deming, Mark (July 2, 2021). "Dark in Here – The Mountain Goats". AllMusic . Archived from the original on July 8, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. "Dark in Here". Bandcamp . Retrieved June 27, 2021.
  11. "The 50 Best Albums of 2021". Paste . November 29, 2021. Archived from the original on November 29, 2021. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  12. "Americana/Folk Albums: July 10, 2021". Billboard. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  13. "Independent Albums: July 10, 2021". Billboard. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  14. "Top Album Sales: July 10, 2021". Billboard. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  15. "Top Rock Albums: July 10, 2021". Billboard. Retrieved July 18, 2022.