Darkel was met with "mixed or average" reviews from critics. At
Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, this release received an
average score of 55 based on 18 reviews. In a review for
AllMusic, critic reviewer Heather Phares wrote: "
Darkel doesn't differ greatly from his work with Air - it's got the same mix of epic synth passages and sexy, starry-eyed pop, and his wispy, almost androgynous voice would be unmistakable in almost any setting. Sometimes
Darkel seems in danger of floating away on its flights of fancy, suggesting that Godin gives some of Dunckel's more whimsical ideas some grounding when they work together as Air." Dorian Lynskey at
The Guardian said: "Without his band's usual deep-pile arrangements, these twinkling melodies and synth-prog twiddles sound rather insubstantial; TV Destroy is tinselly new wave that would struggle to destroy a teabag." At
Pitchfork, Marc Hogan explained: "While several of the songs evoke the woozy romance of Air's slower tracks, the usual aplomb of Dunckel's day job is lacking, so many fans may want to hold out for the new Air album due next year." ==Track listing==