The Spill Magazine The Spill Magazine
The Spill Magazine The Spill Magazine
The Spill Magazine The Spill Magazine
  • Reviews
    • Album Reviews
    • Features
    • Live Reviews
    • Festivals
  • Portraits
  • Headlines
    • News
    • Contests
    • Events
    • Entertainment Headlines
    • Concert Listings
    • Toronto Concert Venues
  • New Music
    • Premieres
    • Track Of The Day
  • Track Of The Month
  • Books + Movies
  • About
1
new
SPILL LIVE REVIEW: ONES: THE BEATLES #1 HITS @ PRINCESS OF WALES THEATRE, TORONTO
  • Reviews
    • Album Reviews
    • Features
    • Live Reviews
    • Festivals
  • Portraits
  • Headlines
    • News
    • Contests
    • Events
    • Entertainment Headlines
    • Concert Listings
    • Toronto Concert Venues
  • New Music
    • Premieres
    • Track Of The Day
  • Track Of The Month
  • Books + Movies
  • About
  • Spill Menu
    • Reviews
      • Album Reviews
      • Features
      • Live Reviews
      • Festivals
    • Portraits
    • Headlines
      • News
      • Contests
      • Events
      • Entertainment Headlines
      • Concert Listings
      • Toronto Concert Venues
    • New Music
      • Premieres
      • Track Of The Day
    • Track Of The Month
    • Books + Movies
    • About
Album Reviews
355
Editor Pick
previous article
SPILL LIVE REVIEW: HEALTH w/ PERTURBATOR & STREET SECTS @ THE DANFORTH MUSIC HALL, TORONTO 
next article
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: DEAD COSMETICS - WAS TUST DU

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: REUBEN AND THE DARK – IN LIEU OF LIGHT

Reuben And The Dark

Reuben And The Dark
In Lieu Of Light
Arts & Crafts

Reuben Bullock and his band, aka Reuben And The Dark, have slowly been building a reputation as one of the more refined purveyors of what can be dubbed as intelligent rock, working in the range of artists like The National and War On Drugs. You just don’t get a chance to have your music featured on TV shows that have been known for its good musical taste, like Breaking Bad or Grey’s Anatomy.

On In Lieu of Light,’their latest  album, they seem to be taking such an approach to yet another level of refinement. The reasons for that may lie in the fact that not only has the band has taken its musical capabilities up another notch, but that Bullocks singing seems to have taken him to some of the best vocalists at the moment.

Part of the reason for the latter may lie in the fact that his lyrics have also become, at the same time, more personal and more open to the audience than before. The results, like on tracks like “Timelapse Clouds”, “Traveller of Swords” or the lead single “All My Friends” are practically breathtaking and never less than outstanding.



Artist Links

website_flat_2016 facebook_flat_2016 twitter_flat_2016 instagram_flat_2016

Editor Pick
Item Reviewed

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: REUBEN AND THE DARK – IN LIEU OF LIGHT

Author

Ljubinko Zivkovic

Here's what we think...
Spill Rating
Fan Rating
Rate Here
New Criteria
10
10
9.0
Total Spill Rating
10
Total Fan Rating
1 rating
You have rated this
Album Reviews
album reviewalbum reviewsall my friendsarts & craftsin lieu of lightreuben and the darkreuben bullocktimelapse clouds
album review, album reviews, all my friends, arts & crafts, in lieu of light, reuben and the dark, reuben bullock, timelapse clouds
About the Author
Ljubinko Zivkovic
Formerly a lot of things, including a journalist and a translator, currently a freelance writer living in The Netherlands.
RELATED ARTICLES
album reviewalbum reviewsall my friends
 
8.0
Litvar
7.5

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: LITVAR – BEING HERE

by Ljubinko Zivkovic on July 31, 2026
LITVAR BEING HERE MOTHER WEST RECORDS Litvar’s frontman Rex Thurstan describes the band’s new offering, Being Here, as “a bare, stripped-back folk record.” Yet, that might be stretching it a bit. Of course, Thurstan might [...]
 
9.0
Church of Trees
7.7

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: CHURCH OF TREES – TEN

by Aaron Badgley on July 31, 2026
CHURCH OF TREES TEN INDEPENDENT Church of Trees is a very prolific band. Since Bernard Frazer introduced the band to the world in 2017, they have released nine albums. Ten is their tenth, and, to date, their best. Although Frazer has been the [...]
 
7.0
Cindy Blackman Santana
5.5

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: CINDY BLACKMAN SANTANA – COHERENCE

by Gerrod Harris on July 31, 2026
CINDY BLACKMAN SANTANA COHERENCE MACK AVENUE RECORDS Following 2020’s Give The Drummer Some, Cindy Blackman Santana has returned with her seventh solo studio album, Coherence. The album takes a distinct turn towards contemporary jazz fusion, [...]
 
8.0
Dead Horse Beats
9.0

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: DEAD HORSE BEATS – CHILLING EFFECT

by Sanjeev Wignarajah on July 31, 2026
DEAD HORSE BEATS CHILLING EFFECT BASTARD JAZZ RECORDINGS Montreal/Toronto’s Dead Horse Beats, brainchild of Patrick Wade, have released its fourth studio album, Chilling Effect. The eight-track album fuses late ‘70s R&B, yacht rock, baroque [...]
 
8.0
DOMi & JD Beck
7.4

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: DOMI & JD BECK – WHO ASKED?

by Sanjeev Wignarajah on July 31, 2026
DOMI & JD BECK WHO ASKED? BLUE NOTE RECORDS From going viral over their cover of the late rapper MF DOOM’s “ALL CAPS” to their incredible 2022 debut album NOT TiGHT. French American jazz duo DOMi Louna and JD Beck have released their [...]

Latest Album Reviews
View All
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: LITVAR – BEING HERE
8.0
7.5
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: CHURCH OF TREES – TEN
9.0
7.7
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: CINDY BLACKMAN SANTANA – COHERENCE
7.0
5.5
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: DEAD HORSE BEATS – CHILLING EFFECT
8.0
9.0
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: DOMI & JD BECK – WHO ASKED?
8.0
7.4

STAY UP-TO-DATE
WITH OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER!

SPILL MAGAZINE MENU
  • Home | The Spill Magazine
  • Newsletter
  • Premieres
  • Track Of The Month
  • Album Reviews
  • Books + Movies
  • Features
  • Live Reviews
  • Festivals
  • Portraits
  • News
  • Events
  • Entertainment Headlines
  • Concert Listings
  • Toronto Concert Venues
  • About Us
  • Contests
  • New Music
  • Contributors
  • TOTD
  • Privacy Policy
  • The Scene Unseen
  • Newsletter

Copyright © 2026 | The Spill Magazine
All Rights Reserved.

TRENDING RIGHT NOW
   
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: SOCIAL DISTORTION – BORN TO KILL
1284
 
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: SHAMUS – “SORCERESS”
775
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: DEEP PURPLE – SPLAT!
740
 
SPILL NEWS: SUGAR SHARE NEW SINGLE “KEEP LOOPING”
727
 
SPILL FEATURE: LET’S JUST START AGAIN – A CONVERSATION WITH NICK HEYWARD & LES NEMES OF HAIRCUT 100
652
 
SPILL LIVE REVIEW: THE GUESS WHO w/ DON FELDER @ SCOTIABANK SADDLEDOME, CALGARY (AB)
622
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: DOUBLESPEAK – DOUBLESPEAK
542
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: KELZ – A SWEET PASSERBY
529
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: MODEST MOUSE – AN ERASER AND A MAZE
518
 
SPILL FEATURE: AFTER THE ASTRONAUT – A CONVERSATION WITH KING COFFEY OF BUTTHOLE SURFERS
484
 
SPILL NEW MUSIC: SAINT AGNES RELEASE VISUALISER FOR NEW SINGLE “THE BEAST”
448
 
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: KYE ALFRED HILLIG – “ON SMALL WINGS”
441
 
SPILL FEATURE: IDENTITY, TRANSFORMATION & THE MEANING OF SURRENDERING – A CONVERSATION WITH JAKE LUHRS OF AUGUST BURNS RED
430
ENTERTAINMENT HEADLINES