Description
Release Date Friday 23rd October 2026
All pre-orders will be dispatched/made ready for collection on that day.
Celebrate the 40th anniversary of the seminal debut album that launched
North Carolina legends The Connells into the international spotlight.
Born out of the mid-80s North Carolina indie-rock boom alongside
contemporaries like R.E.M., Darker Days is the sound of a young band
discovering its singular voice in real time. Driven by Mike Connell's
distinctly melodic, British-influenced songwriting and Doug MacMillan's
instinctive vocals, the band caught the attention of London's Demon
Records before they even had a domestic record deal. Now, four decades
after its frantic, cross-continental release, this definitive reissue captures
the fleeting moment just before the band became a college radio staple.
• Fully Remastered
• The Complete Session: For the first time, the tracklist combines both
the original U.S. (Black Park) and U.K. (Demon Records) releases into
one definitive album.
• Back on Physical Formats: This marks the first time the album has
been printed on physical media since 1987
• 4 Rare Bonus Tracks Includes four sought-after bonus tracks that have
never been released digitally
• Definitive Liner Notes Features an extensive, deep-dive essay on the
history of the band and the album.
Tracklisting
1. Hats Off
2. Holding Pattern
3. Seven
4. Unspoken Words
5. Darker Days
6. Much Easier
7. 1934
8. Brighter Words
9. Dial It
10. In My Head
11. Hats Off Ten
Gallon Mix.
Darker Days (Ten
Gallon Mix)
12. If It Crumbles
(Hats Off)
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