How Did We Get So Dark?
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How Did We Get So Dark? is the second studio album by British hard rock duo Royal Blood. It was released on 16 June 2017, through Warner Bros. Records. Critics have considered the album to be stylistically similar[citation needed] to the band's debut album, with Mike Kerr's bass serving as the music's focal point, but incorporating more blues and psychedelic influences.
How Did We Get So Dark? received generally positive reviews from critics. Like their debut album, it debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart.
Critical reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 6.4/10 |
| Metacritic | 71/100 |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| Classic Rock | |
| Dork | |
| Exclaim! | 6/10 |
| Financial Times | |
| MusicOMH | |
| NME | |
| The Spill Magazine |
The album received generally positive reviews from music critics, attaining a Metacritic aggregate score of 71.
It was elected by Loudwire as the 7th best hard rock album of 2017.
Track listing
All lyrics are written by Mike Kerr; all music is composed by Royal Blood, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "How Did We Get So Dark?" | 3:17 | ||
| 2. | "Lights Out" | Mike KerrJohn Barrett | Royal BloodJohn Barrett | 3:57 |
| 3. | "I Only Lie When I Love You" | 2:49 | ||
| 4. | "She's Creeping" | 3:23 | ||
| 5. | "Look Like You Know" | 3:05 | ||
| 6. | "Where Are You Now?" | 2:46 | ||
| 7. | "Don't Tell" | Mike KerrJohn Barrett | Royal BloodJohn Barrett | 3:38 |
| 8. | "Hook, Line & Sinker" | 3:28 | ||
| 9. | "Hole in Your Heart" | 3:46 | ||
| 10. | "Sleep" | Royal BloodPatrick Berger | 4:16 | |
| Total length: | 34:25 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Cheap Affection" | 2:55 |
| 12. | "Half the Chance" | 3:18 |
| Total length: | 40:38 |
Personnel
Credits adapted from the album's booklet.
Royal Blood
- Mike Kerr – bass, keyboards, vocals, production
- Ben Thatcher – drums, percussion, piano, production
Production
- Tom Dalgety – production, engineering, mixing
- Jolyon Thomas – production, engineering
- Brian Lucey – mastering
- Justin Smith – engineering
- Drew Bang – engineering
Imagery
- Adrian Samson – photography
- Pascal Teixeira – art direction
- Richard Welland – design
- We Three Club – tiger design
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (2017) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA) | 4 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) | 13 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) | 2 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) | 2 |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard) | 8 |
| Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI) | 43 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) | 8 |
| Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) | 28 |
| French Albums (SNEP) | 37 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) | 17 |
| Greek Albums (IFPI) | 19 |
| Irish Albums (IRMA) | 4 |
| Italian Albums (FIMI) | 29 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) | 6 |
| Polish Albums (ZPAV) | 23 |
| Portuguese Albums (AFP) | 8 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC) | 1 |
| Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) | 25 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) | 4 |
| UK Albums (OCC) | 1 |
| UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC) | 1 |
| US Billboard 200 | 25 |
| US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) | 6 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2017) | Position |
|---|---|
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) | 31 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) | 112 |
| UK Albums (OCC) | 39 |
External links
- Royal Blood
- Dan Hillier