Darklands (album)
| Company type | Studio album |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 31 August 1987 |
| Founder | The Jesus and Mary Chain |
| Products | Alternative rock music album |
Darklands represents the sophomore studio effort by the Scottish alternative rock group the Jesus and Mary Chain, officially released on 31 August 1987 through Blanco y Negro Records. This album introduces the band's inaugural use of drum machines, substituting their previous live drummer Bobby Gillespie, who departed to lead the Scottish rock ensemble Primal Scream. Vocals are predominantly delivered by Jim Reid, with exceptions on the tracks "Darklands," "Nine Million Rainy Days," and "On the Wall," where William Reid takes the lead.
Achieving a peak position of number five on the UK Albums Chart, Darklands stands as the highest-charting release for the band to date. The album is also recognized in the compilation 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
The title track was later covered by Primal Scream, appearing as a B-side on their 1998 single "If They Move, Kill 'Em".
Reception
Ned Raggett of Allmusic observed that Darklands reflects a strategic shift by the Reid brothers, blending their earlier raw sound with a more commercially accessible style. He noted its "calmer classic rock twang and groove," while pointing out that the fundamental elements from their debut Psychocandy (1985) were still present. Raggett summarized that although Darklands differs from Psychocandy, it remains a rewarding listen.
In a review for Pitchfork, Nitsuh Abebe rated the album 7.8, commending the move away from noisy textures following Gillespie’s replacement with a drum machine. He highlighted the emergence of straightforward pop songs, specifically praising singles such as “Happy When it Rains” for their memorable hooks and stylish execution.
Robert Christgau of The Village Voice assigned a B+ grade, appreciating the album’s combination of "erotic-existential despair" and its folk-influenced acoustic elements. However, he expressed a sense of loss for the intense feedback noise characteristic of earlier works, feeling this new direction lacked comparable intensity.
Personnel
Information adapted from the liner notes of Darklands.
The Jesus and Mary Chain
- Jim Reid – vocals
- William Reid – vocals ; production
Additional personnel
- Bill Price – production
- John Loder – production
- Tony Harris – engineering
- Tim Broad – video photography
- John Maybury – video photography
- Helen Backhouse – design
- Andrew Catlin – photography
Charts
| Chart (1987) | Highest Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) | 81 |
| Dutch Albums | 64 |
| Europe | 38 |
| New Zealand Albums | 20 |
| Swedish Albums | 38 |
| Swiss Albums | 23 |
| United Kingdom Albums | 5 |
| Billboard 200 (US) | 161 |
External links
- Darklands (requires Adobe Flash) available for licensed streaming on Radio3Net