The Darker The Shadow The Brighter The Light
The Streets
2023
The Darker The Shadow The Brighter The Light is an exploration of different types of nightclubs, injecting a crime story into the banal life of a DJ. Beginning with Mike Skinner’s love letter to club culture, Too Much Yayo, The Darker The Shadow The Brighter The Light immediately thrusts listeners into the throng of ravers under the strobe lights, each with their pupils dilating due to various intoxicants.
In the album’s narrative, (via Dig!) This these opening songs serve as exposition, introducing listeners to a lowly DJ who casts his eye over the punters who bump and grind before him. While the record and the film both crystallize around the mysterious drug-related death of a club-goer, Skinner’s love of cult cinema quickly makes itself felt in his noir-ish exploration of urban crime.
As the DJ searches for answers, it transpires that the nightclub he works in faces the threat of closure, mirroring the grim reality many dance venues face across the country.
Stand-Out Tracks
Money Isn’t Everything
Bright Sunny Day
Trouble Waters
