Under the Blacklight

Last updated
Under the Blacklight
Rilokiley undertheblacklight cover.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedAugust 17, 2007
RecordedSummer 2006–spring 2007
Genre Indie pop, indie rock
Length37:30
Label Warner Bros.
Producer Rilo Kiley, Jason Lader, Mike Elizondo
Rilo Kiley chronology
More Adventurous
(2004)
Under the Blacklight
(2007)
Rkives
(2013)
Singles from Under the Blacklight
  1. "The Moneymaker"
    Released: August 13, 2007
  2. "Breakin' Up"
    Released: May 2, 2008

Under the Blacklight is the fourth and final studio album released by American alternative rock band Rilo Kiley. It was released on August 20, 2007, in the United Kingdom - three years and three days after the release of their third album, More Adventurous . Warner Bros. Records released the album one day later in the United States. "Silver Lining" was No. 27 on Rolling Stone 's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007. [1]

Contents

Album history

The album marks the return of the band following individual solo projects. On January 24, 2006, Jenny Lewis released Rabbit Fur Coat while Blake Sennett released Sun, Sun, Sun with The Elected.

The album was produced by the band with Jason Lader and Mike Elizondo. [2] The first single to be released from the album was "The Moneymaker". [3] The second single was "Silver Lining".

Several tracks from Blacklight were leaked in advance of the album's official release date. On August 17, 2007, the band started streaming the whole album on their MySpace page.

The album's jewel case is tinted purple, reminiscent of a blacklight. The album's covers and inlays were designed by Lewis and Pierre de Reeder, with photography by Autumn de Wilde. The liner notes do not feature any song lyrics.

The band's first official major label debut features a number of guests musicians, including Jackson Browne, Alex Greenwald of Phantom Planet and James Valentine and Mickey Madden from Maroon 5. However, the album credits do not state on which songs the guests appear.

Under the Blacklight debuted at number 22 on the U.S. Billboard 200, selling about 27,000 copies in its first week. [4] As of December 2012, sales in the United States have exceeded 186,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. [5]

On September 25, 2007, Rilo Kiley appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! to perform "Dreamworld". "Dreamworld" was the first Rilo Kiley song to become popular in Russia. In November 2007 it was added to the playlist of Maximum, one of the most popular stations in Russia.

"Breakin' Up" was heard at the end of the Grey's Anatomy season 4 episode "Forever Young". "The MoneyMaker" was used as the background music in promotional spots for Fox Network's "Canterbury's Law" and a 2009 Carl's Jr. ad featuring Audrina Patridge. "15" was included in the "Clearance Sale" show of Season 3 of Bob Dylan's Theme Time Radio in April 2009.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 71/100 [6]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [7]
The A.V. Club A [8]
Entertainment Weekly B− [9]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [10]
MSN Music (Consumer Guide)A [11]
NME 5/10 [12]
Pitchfork 5.1/10 [13]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [14]
Spin Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [15]
Uncut Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [16]

Blacklight tells a dark story. It is "an album written about Los Angeles' sketchy side... of characters starving for fame and fortune". [17] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 71, based on 32 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". [6] The album received many Fleetwood Mac comparisons. [18] [19] Critics praised the band's move into a newer sound, with Rolling Stone calling it "yet even more adventurous" (referring to the band's 2004 album More Adventurous ).

This album was #8 on Rolling Stone 's list of the Top 50 Albums of 2007. [20]

The "January/February 2008" issue of Blender Magazine named Under the Blacklight the tenth best album of 2007, referring to it as "an album of classically sleek, apocalyptic '70s L.A. coke-rock, in the fine Fleetwood Mac and Steely Dan tradition."

Track listing

All songs written by Jenny Lewis, except where noted.

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Silver Lining"  Jason Lader, Rilo Kiley3:35
2."Close Call" Jason Lader, Rilo Kiley3:20
3."The Moneymaker" Jason Lader, Rilo Kiley2:51
4."Breakin' Up" Blake Sennett, LewisJason Lader, Rilo Kiley3:37
5."Under the Blacklight"  Mike Elizondo 3:33
6."Dreamworld"Sennett, Morgan Nagler Jason Lader, Rilo Kiley4:43
7."Dejalo"Lewis, Johnathan Rice Mike Elizondo3:16
8."15" Mike Elizondo2:50
9."Smoke Detector" Mike Elizondo2:58
10."The Angels Hung Around" Mike Elizondo3:03
11."Give a Little Love" Mike Elizondo3:41
Total length:37:30

Personnel

Charts

Chart (2007)Peak
position
Belgian Wallonia Albums Chart [21] 86
Norwegian Albums Chart [21] 15
Swedish Albums Chart [22] 52
UK Albums Chart [23] 34
US Billboard 200 [24] 22
US Top Alternative Albums [24] 5
US Top Digital Albums [25] 7
US Top Rock Albums [24] 6
Chart (2023)Peak
position
Hungarian Physical Albums [26] 24

Release history

RegionDate
NetherlandsAugust 17, 2007
United KingdomAugust 20, 2007
United StatesAugust 21, 2007
GermanyAugust 24, 2007

Credits

All songs published by Deprecious Music/Wonderful Pony Music/Big Blue Boat Music/BB Lindstrom (all BMI) except:
"Dreamworld" published by Deprecious Music/Wonderful Pony Music/Big Blue Boat Music/BB Lindstrom/Morgan Nagler (all BMI)
"Dejalo" published by Deprecious Music/Wonderful Pony Music/Big Blue Boat Music/BB Lindstrom (all BMI)/Point Longstreet Publishing (ASCAP)

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