Perfect Darkness
title: "Perfect Darkness" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["2011-albums", "fink-(singer)-albums", "ninja-tune-albums"] topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfect_Darkness" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox album"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Perfect Darkness |
| type | studio |
| artist | Fink |
| cover | FinkPerfectDarknessPackshot.png |
| released | |
| length | |
| label | Ninja Tune |
| producer | Billy Bush, Fink |
| prev_title | Sort of Revolution |
| prev_year | 2009 |
| next_title | Fink Meets the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra |
| next_year | 2013 |
| :: |
| name = Perfect Darkness | type = studio | artist = Fink | cover = FinkPerfectDarknessPackshot.png | alt = | released = | recorded = | venue = | studio = | genre = | length = | label = Ninja Tune | producer = Billy Bush, Fink | prev_title = Sort of Revolution | prev_year = 2009 | next_title = Fink Meets the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra | next_year = 2013 |MC = 69/100 |rev1 = AllMusic |rev1score = |rev2 = BBC Music |rev2score = (positive) |rev3 = The Guardian |rev3score = |rev4 = PopMatters |rev4score = 7/10 |rev5 = Under the Radar |rev5score = 5/10
Perfect Darkness is the fifth studio album from British musician Fink, and the fourth to be recorded with his self-titled band. It was released on 13 June 2011 on Ninja Tune.
Background
The album was recorded in the space of 20 days with the intention of capturing a "sense of right nowness" and an "organic sounding recording". The title was chosen because it sounded "really first-tracky" to the band. Behind the title is also a deliberate misinterpretation of the genre of folk, and the album is described by Greenall not to be "a collection of songs about being dumped or ships leaving meadows or whatever it is people think folk's supposed to be nowadays, [it] is not that at all."
The album was produced by Billy Bush (who has worked with artists such as Beck and Garbage) and recorded in Brighton and Los Angeles.
Critical reception
Perfect Darkness was met with "generally favorable" reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, this release received an average score of 69 based on 7 reviews.
In a review for The Guardian, critic reviewer Caroline Sullivan wrote: "His [Fink] fifth album often achieves such loveliness you don't want it to end. An organic warmth prevails on even the most emotionally chaotic songs – delicate fingerpicking and squeaking guitar strings sweeten the scathing "Honesty", while his hungover rasp on "Berlin Sunrise" paints an oddly seductive picture of the new day."
Track listing
| all_writing = Fin Greenall, Tim Thornton and Guy Whittaker, except where noted | title1 = Perfect Darkness | writer1 = | length1 = 6:39 | title2 = Fear Is like Fire | length2 = 3:58 | title3 = Yesterday Was Hard on All of Us | length3 = 4:55 | title4 = Honesty | writer4 = | length4 = 4:33 | title5 = Wheels | length5 = 3:04 | title6 = Warm Shadow | length6 = 5:46 | title7 = Save It for Somebody Else | writer7 = | length7 = 3:49 | title8 = Who Says | length8 = 5:04 | title9 = Foot in the Door | length9 = 5:03 | title10 = Berlin Sunrise | length10 = 4:04
Personnel
Fink
- Fin Greenall – vocals, acoustic guitars, sound effects ("FX")
- Guy Whittaker – electric and acoustic bass
- Tim Thornton – drums, electric and acoustic guitars
Additional personnel
- Matt Kelly – string arrangement (on "Perfect Darkness")
- Michael Flury – trombone (on "Save It for Somebody Else")
- Shane Beales – electric keyboard (on "Foot in the Door")
Production
- Billy Bush – producer
- Emily Lazar – mastering
- Joe LaPorta – mastering
Chart performance
::data[format=table title="Chart performance for ''Perfect Darkness''"] | Chart (2011) | Peak position | |---|---| ::
Release history
::data[format=table]
| Region | Date | Label | Catalogue | United Kingdom | United States |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 June 2011 | Ninja Tune | ZENCD170 | |||
| 19 July 2011 | |||||
| :: |
References
References
- "Metacritic Review". [[Metacritic]].
- Eremenko, Alexey. "AllMusic Review". [[AllMusic]].
- Wade, Ian. "BBC - Music - Review of Fink - Perfect Darkness". [[BBC]].
- Sullivan, Caroline. (10 June 2011). "Fink: Perfect Darkness – review". [[The Guardian]].
- Johnson, Andy. (2 August 2011). "PopMatters Review".
- Moayeri, 5 August 2011. "Under the Radar Review". [[Under the Radar (magazine).
- (29 April 2011). "New LP - Perfect Darkness". Finkworld.co.uk.
- "Perfect Darkness - Fink". [[Ninja Tune]].
- Kerr, Will. (7 June 2011). "Fink: Interview".
- Stcikler, Jon. (20 May 2011). "Stereoboard Speak To Fink About New Album 'Perfect Darkness', Collaborations & Cocktails".
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