The Jesus And Mary Chain - Darklands (1987)

“Darklands” is the second album by Scottish alternative rock band The Jesus and Mary Chain. Unlike their previous album, drum machines were used in place of drummer Bobby Gillespie, who had left to pursue a successful career as the frontman with Primal Scream. The album marks a turning point in the band's music, going from the savage noise-pop of “Psychocandy”, to a more melodic indie/alternative sound.
Feeling no doubt burdened by the various claims of being the new Sex Pistols, and likely fed up with accusations that the walls of feedback were their own trick, the Reid brothers underwent a bit of a rethink with “Darklands”. The end result must have fallen squarely between two camps hardly eligible for sunny commercial airplay, not quite as flailing as the earliest efforts but, from a distance, this is an appealing, enjoyable record. Songs were often longer while the album itself was shorter than “Psychocandy”, walls of sound were often stripped away in favor of calmer classic rock twang and groove, while William Reid took the lead vocal at points, showing he had a slightly sweeter, wistful tone in comparison to his brother. However, the changes on “Darklands” can be overstated  the basic formula at the heart of the band (inspired plagiarism of melodies and lyrics alike, plenty of reverb, etc.) stayed pretty much the same, even if the mixes were cleaned up compare "Down on Me" to any “Psychocandy” cut for a good example of the difference. The use of drum machines in place of Bobby Gillespie's rumble tended to enforce the newer focus, but at the album's best, such a seeming dichotomy didn't cause too much worry. "April Skies" made for a great single, while the soaring-in-spite-of-itself "Happy When It Rains" was another winner, one that Garbage more or less made its own some years later for its own similarly titled hit. William's singing turns made for other highlights as well, notably "Nine Million Rainy Days," the overt misery of the title suiting the dark crawl of the song, and the lengthy lament "On the Wall."

Track listing

01. "Darklands"  (Jim Reid, William Reid)  - 5:29
02. "Deep One Perfect Morning"  (Jim Reid, William Reid)  - 2:43
03. "Happy When It Rains"  (Jim Reid, William Reid)  -  3:36
04. "Down on Me"  (Jim Reid, William Reid)  - 2:36
05. "Nine Million Rainy Days"  (Jim Reid, William Reid)  - 4:29
06. "April Skies"  (Jim Reid, William Reid)  - 4:00
07. "Fall"  (Jim Reid, William Reid)  - 2:28
08. "Cherry Came Too"  (Jim Reid, William Reid)  - 3:06
09. "On the Wall"  (Jim Reid, William Reid)  - 5:05
10. "About You"  (Jim Reid, William Reid)  - 2:33

Credits
Jim Reid - vocals, guitar, bass, drum machine programming
William Reid - vocals, guitar, bass, drum machine programming, production
Engineer – Tony Harris
Mastered By [Cut By] – Steve Angel
Producer - William Reid, Bill Price, John Loder

Notes
Recorded at: Wessex Studios, Southern Studios, Livingston Studios (all London)
Genre: Alternative Rock, Indie Pop
Length: 35:51

© 1987 Blanco y Negro Records