Dark Matters (The Stranglers album)

Last updated

Dark Matters
The Stranglers - Dark Matters.png
Studio album by
Released10 September 2021
Recorded2019–2021 [1] [2]
StudioCharlton Farm Studios, Bath
OX4 Sound Studios, Oxford
Baz Warne home studio, Yorkshire
unknown studio, France
Length42:55
Label Coursegood
Producer Louie Nicastro
The Stranglers chronology
Giants
(2012)
Dark Matters
(2021)
Singles from Dark Matters
  1. "And If You Should See Dave..."
    Released: 14 May 2021
  2. "If Something's Gonna Kill Me (It Might As Well Be Love)"
    Released: 7 August 2021
  3. "This Song"
    Released: September 2021
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
The Arts Desk Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [3]
BenzineStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Classic Rock 8/10 [5]
Goldmine Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [6]
Gigwise 7/10 [7]
Liverpool Sound and Vision8.5/10 [8]
Louder Than War 9/10 [9]
Maximum Volume Music9/10 [10]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [11]
musicOMH Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [12]
Music WavesStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [13]
Ondarock7/10 [14]
Punktuation!Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [15]
stereoboard.comStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [16]
Uncut Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [17]

Dark Matters is the eighteenth studio album by British rock band the Stranglers, released on 10 September 2021 through Coursegood. [18] It features the playing of keyboardist Dave Greenfield, who died in 2020. [19] It is also the first studio album recorded without founding drummer Jet Black, who retired from performing with the band in 2015.

Contents

Dark Matters entered the United Kingdom's Official Albums Chart at number 4, [20] the highest-placed studio album by the Stranglers since Feline in 1983. It was awarded "Album of the Year" by Vive Le Rock magazine in its December 2021 issue. [21] [22]

Background and recording

Dark Matters is the first Stranglers studio album since 2012's Giants and the first since the death of keyboardist Dave Greenfield in May 2020. [23] The track, "And If You Should See Dave...", was written by bassist and singer Jean-Jacques Burnel as a tribute to Greenfield. [24] Greenfield features on eight of the album's 11 tracks, with the remainder being completed by other band members remotely due to COVID-19 restrictions. [25] The album was recorded over the course of two years with long-time producer Louie Nicastro, [26] mainly at the Stranglers' own studio near Bath in Somerset and Mark Gardener's OX4 Sound Studios in Oxford. [11] [27] Additional recording was done at guitarist Baz Warne's home studio in Yorkshire and at a studio near Burnel's home in the south of France. [2] [28] [29]

Burnel's "If Something's Gonna Kill Me (It Might as Well Be Love)", which also includes a lyrical tribute to Greenfield, [30] was arranged by Warne as a Kraftwerk-inspired electro-pop track, complete with keyboard bass and programmed drums. To create the song, Nicastro, who played the keyboard parts, used only keyboards that Greenfield would have used in the early days of the Stranglers, such as Oberheim, PPG Wave and Minimoog synthesizers. [30] The third post-Greenfield track, "The Lines", is a one-take recording featuring Burnel on acoustic guitar and Warne on lead vocals, with keyboards added later on. [2]

Dark Matters also marks the first Stranglers studio album since original drummer Jet Black stepped away from active performances in 2015. [31] Black does not perform on the album, but is thanked in the album's sleeve notes. He is replaced by long-time touring drummer Jim Macaulay. [7] [31]

"This Song" is a cover of the track "This Song Will Get Me Over You" by the band the Disciples of Spess, [7] but is co-credited to the Stranglers; the music video features the former England footballer Stuart Pearce, a long-time fan of the band. [32]

Track listing

All tracks are written by the Stranglers, except where noted

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Water" 4:47
2."This Song"Mathew Seamarks, The Stranglers3:20
3."And If You Should See Dave..." 3:35
4."If Something's Gonna Kill Me (It Might as Well Be Love)" 4:56
5."No Man's Land" 2:25
6."The Lines" 1:37
7."Payday" 3:04
8."Down" 3:01
9."The Last Men on the Moon" 5:35
10."White Stallion" 4:45
11."Breathe" 5:50
Total length:42:55
Japanese edition bonus tracks [33] [34]
No.TitleLength
12."Toiler on the Sea" (live at TSUTAYA O-West, Tokyo, Japan, 5 November 2019)4:39
13."Freedom Is Insane" (live at TSUTAYA O-West, Tokyo, Japan, 5 November 2019)5:33
14."Down" (Japanese version)3:04
Total length:56:40

A bonus CD, Dave Greenfield – A Tribute, was issued with pre-orders made through the Stranglers' official store. It features eight previously unreleased live recordings selected by the band, celebrating Greenfield's talent. It includes four of the Stranglers songs that Greenfield performed lead vocals on: "Dead Ringer", "Peasant in the Big Shitty", "Do You Wanna?" and "Four Horsemen". [26]

Dave Greenfield – A Tribute
No.TitleWriter(s)Recording date and locationLength
1."Dead Ringer"  O2 Academy Birmingham, 12 March 20162:54
2."Peasant in the Big Shitty"  Cambridge Corn Exchange, 28 March 20143:32
3."Walk On By" Burt Bacharach, Hal David TSUTAYA O-West, Tokyo, Japan, 5 November 20195:37
4."Do You Wanna?"  O2 Academy Bristol, 19 March 20162:31
5."Baroque Bordello"  O2 Academy Brixton, London, 22 March 20193:48
6."Four Horsemen"  Manchester Academy, 21 March 20153:22
7."This Song"Seamarks, The StranglersO2 Academy Brixton, London, 22 March 20193:06
8."Water" O2 Academy Brixton, London, 22 March 20194:29

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album liner notes, except where noted. [35]

The Stranglers

Additional musicians

Technical

Charts

Chart performance for Dark Matters
Chart (2021)Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [36] 152
Scottish Albums (OCC) [37] 3
UK Albums (OCC) [38] 4
UK Independent Albums (OCC) [39] 2

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Stranglers</span> English rock band

The Stranglers are an English rock band who emerged via the punk rock scene. Scoring 23 UK top 40 singles and 19 UK top 40 albums to date in a career spanning five decades, the Stranglers are one of the longest-surviving bands to have originated in the UK punk scene.

<i>The Raven</i> (The Stranglers album) Album by The Stranglers

The Raven is the fourth studio album by English new wave band the Stranglers, released on 15 September 1979, through record label United Artists.

<i>Fire & Water (Ecoutez Vos Murs)</i> 1983 studio album by Dave Greenfield and Jean-Jacques Burnel

Fire & Water is an album by Jean-Jacques Burnel and Dave Greenfield of the Stranglers, released on 11 November 1983 on the Epic record label. It is the soundtrack for the film Ecoutez Vos Murs, directed by Vincent Coudanne.

<i>Norfolk Coast</i> (album) 2004 studio album by the Stranglers

Norfolk Coast is the fifteenth studio album by the Stranglers, and was released on 16 February 2004 by EMI's Liberty Records label, making it their first new album recorded for the company in 23 years. It was released six years after their last studio album Coup de Grace and was their first official studio album with new guitarist Baz Warne, and also the last album to feature Paul Roberts on lead vocals. Norfolk Coast peaked at No. 70 in the UK Albums Chart in February, for one week's duration in that listing.

<i>Black and White</i> (The Stranglers album) 1978 studio album by the Stranglers

Black and White is the third studio album by English new wave band the Stranglers. It was released on 12 May 1978, through record label United Artists in most of the world and A&M in America.

<i>The Gospel According to the Meninblack</i> 1981 studio album by the Stranglers

The Gospel According to the Meninblack is the fifth album by English rock band the Stranglers, an esoteric concept album released 9 February 1981 on the Liberty label. The album deals with conspiratorial ideas surrounding alien visitations to Earth, the sinister governmental men in black, and the involvement of these elements in well-known biblical narratives. This was not the first time the Stranglers had used this concept; "Meninblack" on the earlier The Raven album and subsequent 1980 single-release "Who Wants the World?" had also explored it.

<i>Feline</i> (The Stranglers album) 1983 studio album by The Stranglers

Feline is the seventh studio album by the Stranglers and was released on 14 January 1983 on the Epic record label, their first for the label. The first edition came with a free one-sided 7" single "Aural Sculpture Manifesto". Feline drew heavily on two of the dominant musical influences in Europe of the time, by using primarily acoustic guitars and electronic drums as well as Dave Greenfield's synthesizers. The American edition of the album included the British hit single "Golden Brown" as the closing track on side one of the original vinyl.

<i>Greatest Hits 1977–1990</i> 1990 greatest hits album by the Stranglers

Greatest Hits 1977–1990 is a compilation album by the Stranglers, released in November 1990 by Epic Records. It contains hit singles selected from their back catalogue from both EMI and Epic Records.

<i>All Live and All of the Night</i> 1988 live album by the Stranglers

All Live and All of the Night is the second live album by English rock band the Stranglers, released on 8 February 1988 by Epic Records. The release peaked at No. 12 in the UK Albums Chart in March 1988.

<i>Saturday Night, Sunday Morning</i> 1993 live album by the Stranglers

Saturday Night, Sunday Morning is a live album by the Stranglers, released in 1993 by Castle Communications.

<i>Aural Sculpture</i> 1984 studio album by The Stranglers

Aural Sculpture is the eighth studio album by the Stranglers, released in November 1984 by Epic Records. It was also the name given to a one-sided 7-inch single given free with a limited number of copies of their Feline album in 1983. The "Aural Sculpture Manifesto" on the 7" single was played before the Stranglers appeared on stage during concerts during both the 1983 "Feline" tour and the 1985 "Aural Sculpture" tour.

<i>Stranglers in the Night</i> 1992 studio album by the Stranglers

Stranglers in the Night is the eleventh studio album by the Stranglers and the first release on the band's own record label, Psycho, in 1992.

<i>About Time</i> (The Stranglers album) 1995 studio album by the Stranglers

About Time is the twelfth studio album from the Stranglers and the second one from the Black, Burnel, Greenfield, Roberts and Ellis line-up. The album was released in 1995 through the When! label. It was co-produced, engineered and mixed by Alan Winstanley, who had worked with the Stranglers on their first four albums. Nigel Kennedy plays electric violin on "Face", and a string-quartet is used on three of the eleven tracks.

<i>Written in Red</i> 1997 studio album by the Stranglers

Written in Red is the thirteenth studio album recorded by the Stranglers, released in January 1997 through the When! label. It was co-produced by Gang of Four's Andy Gill.

<i>Coup de Grace</i> (The Stranglers album) 1998 studio album by the Stranglers

Coup de Grace is the fourteenth studio album by the Stranglers, released in 1998 by Eagle Records. It was the last album to feature guitarist John Ellis, who left the band in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Greenfield</span> English rock keyboardist (1949–2020)

David Paul Greenfield was an English keyboardist, singer and songwriter who was a member of rock band The Stranglers. He joined the band in 1975, within a year of its formation, and played with them for 45 years until his death.

<i>Suite XVI</i> 2006 studio album by the Stranglers

Suite XVI is the sixteenth studio album by the Stranglers, released on 18 September 2006 by Liberty EMI Records. It saw the band return as a four-piece after the departure of singer Paul Roberts, with lead vocals shared between guitarist Baz Warne and bassist Jean-Jacques Burnel. The album continues, but also builds on, the shift to a more recognisable sound seen in the previous album, Norfolk Coast, with a sound much more akin to the band's earlier sound during the 1970s and early 1980s. The album was supported by an extensive UK tour by the band and peaked at number 89 in the UK Albums Chart.

<i>Peaches: The Very Best of The Stranglers</i> 2002 greatest hits album by the Stranglers

Peaches: The Very Best of The Stranglers is a compilation album by The Stranglers, released in 2002 by EMI. It reached No. 21 in the UK Albums Chart in June 2002.

<i>Decades Apart</i> 2010 compilation album by the Stranglers

Decades Apart is a 2-CD career spanning compilation album by English rock band the Stranglers, released on 1 March 2010 by EMI. It features 35 singles and album tracks from 1977 to 2006, as well as two new tracks, "Retro Rockets" and "I Don't See the World Like You Do". The album reached #146 in the UK Albums Chart.

<i>Giants</i> (The Stranglers album) 2012 studio album by The Stranglers

Giants is the seventeenth studio album by English rock band the Stranglers and continues the band's return as a four-piece after the departure of singer Paul Roberts. Lead vocals are shared between guitarist Baz Warne and bassist Jean-Jacques Burnel. The album was released on 5 March 2012 and was supported by an extensive UK tour by the band. It was their last album to feature original drummer Jet Black and the last to be released in keyboard player Dave Greenfield's lifetime.

References

  1. Garcia-Navarro, Lulu (12 September 2021). "The Stranglers Continue To Push The Boundaries Of Music In 'Dark Matters'". NPR . Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Baz Warne - Dark Matters 2021". Punk77.co.uk. 2021. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  3. Green, Thomas H. (4 September 2021). "Dark Matters review". The Arts Desk . Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  4. Debarnot, Eric (14 September 2021). "Dark Matters review". Benzine (in French). Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  5. Roberts, Chris (September 2021). "Dark Matters review". Classic Rock . United Kingdom: Future. p. 81. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  6. Curley, John (23 October 2021). "Dark Matters review". Goldmine . Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  7. 1 2 3 England, Adam (8 September 2021). "Album Review: The Stranglers - Dark Matters". Gigwise . Gigwise Ltd. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  8. Hall, Ian D. (12 September 2021). "Dark Matters review". Liverpool Sound and Vision. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  9. Robb, John (11 August 2021). "Dark Matters review". Louder Than War . Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  10. Sullivan, Damian (8 September 2021). "Dark Matters review". Maximum Volume Music. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  11. 1 2 Cameron, Keith (October 2021). "Dark Matters review". Mojo . Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  12. Hogwood, Ben (12 September 2021). "Dark Matters review". musicOMH . Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  13. Stork, Adrian (3 September 2021). "Dark Matters review". Music Waves. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  14. Ciro, Paolo (17 September 2021). "Dark Matters review". Ondarock (in Italian). Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  15. Howden, Nic (7 September 2021). "Dark Matters review". Punktuation!. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  16. Marsh, Graeme (17 September 2021). "Dark Matters review". stereoboard.com. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  17. Hasted, Nick (10 September 2021). "Dark Matters review". Uncut . Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  18. The Stranglers honour late keyboard player Dave Greenfield with 'And If You Should See Dave'. Gigwise. 5 May 2021. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  19. Hear The Stranglers' tribute to late keyboard player Dave Greenfield - Uncut. 5 May 2021. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  20. Copsey, Rob. "Manic Street Preachers win "titanic battle" against Steps to claim second Number 1 on Official Albums Chart". Official Charts. The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  21. "VLR album of the year!". thestranglers.co.uk. 18 January 2022. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  22. "The Stranglers Are Again Cover Stars Of The Latest Issue Of Vive Le Rock". Aural Sculptors. 19 December 2021. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  23. Dave Greenfield: The Stranglers keyboard player dies at 71 -BBC News. 4 May 2020. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  24. The Stranglers announce new album 'Dark Matters' and share tribute single for late keyboardist Dave Greenfield - NME. 5 May 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  25. Dark Matters CD Album + Dave Greenfield - A Tribute (Exclusive Bonus CD) - The Stranglers Official Online Store. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  26. 1 2 "The Stranglers share tribute to late keyboard player Dave Greenfield, announce first studio album since 2012". Classic Rock. 5 May 2021. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  27. "OX4 Sound Rides The Faders On New SSL AWS 948 Console". solidstatelogic.com. 23 May 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  28. "The Stranglers talk making new album Dark Matters..." HMV. 20 September 2021. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  29. Mooney, Giles. "LOCK DOWN TRACKS WITH BAZ WARNE FROM THE STRANGLERS". A Love Supreme . Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  30. 1 2 3 Janes, Steve (30 July 2021). "Out today – The Stranglers x If Something's Gonna Kill Me Track Chat". With Guitars. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  31. 1 2 Hall, Duncan (10 July 2015). "The Stranglers guitarist Baz Warne on the departure of Jet Black and looking to the next 40 years". The Argus . Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  32. Aubrey, Elizabeth (2 September 2021). "Nottingham Forest legend Stuart Pearce stars in The Stranglers' new video". NME . Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  33. "亡き盟友デイヴ・グリーンフィールドに捧ぐ。ストラングラーズ最新アルバム国内盤9月15日発売!2019年東京公演ライヴ音源2曲と、JJが日本語で歌った特別ボーナス・トラック収録決定。" (in Japanese). Sony Music Entertainment Japan . Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  34. "Dark Matters [Japan Bonus Track]". CDJapan. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  35. The Stranglers (2021). Dark Matters (CD sleeve). Coursegood. CGCD12.
  36. "Ultratop.be – The Stranglers – Dark Matters" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  37. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  38. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  39. "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 September 2021.