Dark Black is the second album by Kristina Train, released on November 5, 2012 in the UK.[3][4]

Dark Black
Studio album by
ReleasedNovember 5, 2012 (2012-11-05)
Genre
Length42:06
LabelMercury
ProducerMartin Craft, Ed Harcourt, Justin Parker, Dave Kosten[1]
Kristina Train chronology
Spilt Milk
(2009)
Dark Black
(2012)
Rayon City
(2021)
Singles from Dark Black
  1. "Dream of Me"
    Released: August 27, 2012[citation needed]
  2. "Lose You Tonight"
    Released: February 4, 2013[2]

Development edit

Since her last album, Train was signed by Mercury Records, switched to dark sultry pop instead of jazz, and started working with Martin Craft, Ed Harcourt, and Simon Aldred.[5] After releasing Spilt Milk, EMI, the parent company of her label Blue Note, imploded, axing promotion staff so that Train's album was not well promoted and Blue Note dropped her. However, one musician who heard her work and was impressed was Herbie Hancock. He was looking for a vocalist to join with his band as he was touring to support River: The Joni Letters. Train joined him and toured for two years as a vocalist and violin player. This gave Train an opportunity to gain a broader musical education, and by the time she went to record Dark Black Train knew what she wanted to record, or as she said "after two years on the road with Herbie Hancock, I had a very, very clear vision of what I wanted to do musically."[6] Many of the songs on the album are personal, telling tales of heartbreak and loss, although some sunny songs such as "I Wanna Live in LA" crept into the mix.[7][8]

Two singles have been released from Dark Black; "Dream of Me" and "Lose You Tonight".

Track listing edit

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Dark Black"Kristina Train, Martin Craft[1][9]3:04
2."Dream of Me"K. Train, M. Craft3:35
3."Pins & Needles"K. Train, M. Craft3:17
4."No One's Gonna Love You"Ben Bridwell, Rob Hampton, Creighton Barrett3:31
5."Lonely Sinner"K. Train, Ed Harcourt4:10
6."Saturdays Are the Greatest"K. Train, M. Craft3:18
7."Don't Leave Me Here Alone"K. Train, Simon Aldred3:31
8."I Wanna Live in LA"K. Train, M. Craft3:54
9."Stick Together"K. Train, M. Craft3:43
10."Lose You Tonight"K. Train, M. Craft, Justin Parker3:33
11."Everloving Arms"K. Train, S. Aldred3:34
12."January"K. Train, E. Harcourt2:56
Total length:42:06

Reception edit

Although well reviewed by British reviewers,[10] Dark Black initially struggled to find its audience base, with Mercury dropping four months after the album release.[11] However, one influential fan, Bruce Springsteen, gave her album a shout-out on a couple of interviews which helped raise the profile of the album. Springsteen compared her to Dusty Springfield. Springsteen even gave her a text on her birthday, and mentioned that her album was one of the albums on his permanent playlist at the time.[12][6][13]

References edit

  1. ^ a b Dark Black (CD liner). Kristina Train. European Union: Mercury Records. 2012. 3711587.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. ^ Stickler, Jon (January 24, 2013). "Kristina Train Unveils Video For New Single 'Lose You Tonight' - Watch Now". Stereoboard.com. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  3. ^ "Dark Black: Kristina Train". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved February 1, 2013.
  4. ^ McNatty, Camilla (October 3, 2012). "Introducing Kristina Train-Debut album Dark Black set for November release". Purple Revolver. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  5. ^ Aizlewood, John (November 16, 2012). "Kristina Train Dark Black Review". BBC Music Reviews. Retrieved February 1, 2013.
  6. ^ a b DeYoung, Bill (March 26, 2014). "SMF: Kristina Train". Connect Savannah. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  7. ^ Potter, Lisa (February 22, 2013). "Today we can't stop listening to: Kristina Train". Marie Claire. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  8. ^ Morrison, Alan (November 6, 2012). "Kristina Train, Dark Black (Mercury)". The Herald. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  9. ^ "Dark Black - Kristina Train". AllMusic. Retrieved February 1, 2013.
  10. ^ "Kristina Train - Dark Black Review". Red. November 2, 2012. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  11. ^ Fischer, Reed (May 14, 2014). "10 New Artists You Need to Know: May 2014". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  12. ^ Powers, Ann (January 15, 2014). "A Long Road To 'High Hopes': An Interview With Bruce Springsteen". NPR Music. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  13. ^ Bowden-Simon, Melanie (April 4, 2014). "Kristina Train Talks About Her New Album, Why She's Singing In Spanish And Those Texts With Bruce Springsteen". MelanieBowdenSimon. Retrieved April 6, 2017.

External links edit