And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow

And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter and musician Weyes Blood, released on November 18, 2022 by Sub Pop. The album is the second in a trilogy of recordings that began with Mering's previous studio album Titanic Rising (2019), describing the sequel as a personal response "to being in the thick of it." A record with a chamber pop, indie pop, and folk rock sound, it was entirely produced by the singer and Jonathan Rado, with additional production by Ben Babbitt and Rodaidh McDonald.

And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow received critical acclaim and earned the singer her first appearance on the U.S. Billboard 200. It reached the top 40 in New Zealand, Scotland, and the United Kingdom. The album was supported by four singles: "It's Not Just Me, It's Everybody", "Grapevine", "God Turn Me into a Flower", and "Children of the Empire". To promote the album, Weyes Blood embarked on the In Holy Flux Tour in 2023.

Background and release
On September 12, 2022, Natalie Mering officially announced her fifth studio album And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow set for release on November 18, 2022, and released its lead single "It's Not Just Me, It's Everybody" the same day. In promotion of the album, she embarked on the In Holy Flux Tour across North America and Europe in 2023. The second single, "Grapevine", followed on October 11, 2022. The song, which takes its title from a stretch of California highway known as "the Grapevine", is inspired by Mering's breakup with a "narcissistic" musician during the COVID-19 pandemic. The third single, "God Turn Me into a Flower", was released on November 16, 2022.

The album is the second entry into a trilogy of studio albums following 2019's Titanic Rising. According to Mering, Titanic Rising is an "observation, sounding the alarms that shit is going to go down" while And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow is "my personal response to being in the thick of it". Mering's original concept for the artwork was to give the light inside her chest a "more alien" look.

Composition
And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow predominantly comprises a chamber pop, indie pop, and folk rock sound.

Critical reception
And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow received widespread acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has an average score of 87 based on 25 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". The editors of AnyDecentMusic? rated this release an 8.0 out of 10, based on 24 reviews.

The Wall Street Journal Mark Richardson compared the album to Titanic Rising, Mering's previous studio album, saying it "easily matches its acclaimed predecessor in quality and scope." A five star review for NME praised the album direction and themes, saying "Mering's own vision of the end of the world is intricately woven and rich with melody" while also recognizing that "Mering's apparent take on heartbreak seems to be quietly optimistic". Alexis Petridis of The Guardian commended the album's complexity and musical experimentation, noting its musical inspirations such as Brian Wilson-esque arrangements and Karen Carpenter's vocal intonations. Similarly, a four star review by Helen Brown in The Independent noted a "a good range of textures across the 10 tracks" on the album.

The Daily Telegraph lauded the artist's compositions, saying that they "have leaned into glorious baroque madrigals, tenderly layering melodies and harmonies as if she were adorning a human body with pearls, coats and scarves". Writing for AllMusic, Fred Thomas highlighted the song "It's Not Just Me, It's Everybody" as a standout, and described the album as a "another step forward" for Mering, "building on the stunning sonic and emotional environments she tailored" on her previous albums.

Commercial performance
And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow became Weyes Blood's first album to enter the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart, debuting and peaking at number 111; it charted for only one week. Also in the United States, the album topped the Heatseekers Albums chart, and peaked within the top ten on the Top Alternative Albums chart. In the United Kingdom, it reached the position 27; it marked her second appearance on the UK Albums Chart, following Titanic Rising in 2019. Additionally, the record reached the top 40 in New Zealand and Scotland, and the top 100 in other seven countries, including Germany, Ireland, Portugal, and Spain.

Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow.

Musicians


 * Natalie Mering – piano (1, 10), vocals (1–5, 7–10), synthesiser (2, 4, 9, 10), guitar (3, 9), organ (4, 7), musician (8)
 * Kenny Gilmore – bass (1–3)
 * Logan Hone – flute, clarinet, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone (1)
 * Mary Lattimore – harp (1–3, 5)
 * Joey Waronker – drums (1, 9)
 * Ben Babbitt – wind arrangement (1), vocal arrangement (2, 5, 9), backing vocals (2–5, 9), cello arrangement (4)
 * Drew Erickson – string arrangement (1–3, 5, 6), horn arrangement (2), organ (2, 3, 5)
 * Michael D'Addario – drums (2, 3, 5)
 * Brian D'Addario – guitar (2, 3), Wurlitzer (5)
 * Andy Martin – vocals, piano, trombone (2, 3)
 * Jonathan Rado – synthesiser (2, 3, 9), electronics (2), bass, tubular bells (3, 5), drum machine, guitar (7), musician (8)
 * Michael Chadwick – synthesiser (3), harpsichord (5)
 * Andres Renteria – shaker (3, 5)
 * Cornella Babbitt – cello (4)
 * Charlie Bisharat – electric violin (4)
 * Daniel Lopatin – synthesiser (4)
 * Meg Duffy – guitar (5)
 * Sean Cook – cowbell (9)
 * Sebastian Steinberg – bass (9)
 * The Nona Strings Quartet (1–3, 5, 6):
 * Jacob Braun – cello
 * Andrew Bulbrook – 1st violin
 * Zach Dellinger – viola
 * Wynton Grant – 2nd violin
 * Blake Cooper – tuba (2, 3)
 * Dan Fornero – trumpet (2, 3)

Technical


 * Natalie Mering – production
 * Jonathan Rado – production
 * Ben Babbitt – additional production (1, 4, 5, 9), additional vocal production (2)
 * Emily Lazar – mastering
 * Chris Allgood – mastering
 * Kenny Gilmore – mixing
 * Andrew Sarlo – engineering (1–6, 8)
 * Sean Cook – additional engineering (1–3, 5), engineering (4, 7, 9)
 * Chad Gordon – additional engineering (1–6, 8), string engineering (1–3, 5, 6)
 * Rias Reed – additional engineering (1–6, 8), string engineering (1–3, 5, 6)
 * Jacob Kell – string engineering assistance (1–3, 5, 6)
 * Sarah Tudzin – additional engineering (4, 9)
 * Peter Labberton – engineering (10)

Artwork


 * Elijah Funk – design, cover art concept
 * Dusty Summers – design
 * Neil Krug – photography, cover art concept
 * Natalie Mering – cover art concept