Perfect Darkness (Bonus Video Version)

Arguably, many of the best songwriters hit points in their careers where their songs evolve from crafted introspection into a more metaphysical space; they're no longer simply exposing their own truths but creating spaces that listeners can also inhabit. On his fifth album, Perfect Darkness, Fink lives this evolution; the result is a record that's simultaneously personal and universal. Appropriately, Perfect Darkness is the first of Fink's songwriting records to not feature his face on the cover. Instead, an abstract cube on its edge floats in space. This loss of ego is present in the songwriting as well, perhaps due to the new writing process, which was driven by post-performance soundscape jamming with his band. The title track was born from parts of one of these jams—a hypnotic backing based on one guitar riff and sparse percussion. This is Fink at his most emotive and affected, enjoying his evolution and acting as a conduit rather than just a performer.