After hurtling onto everyone’s radar back in 2003 with scorching debut album, Permission To Land, The Darkness are back with new album, Pinewood Smile. But can the Suffolk-borne rockers reclaim their former glory, let alone the 80’s they emulate?
The aforementioned debut album rocketed to quadruple-platinum when it released, so it would be nothing short of spectacular to attain that height again. However, the band have released their fifth studio album, and we take it for a spin to see how it measures up.
You’ve got barking and howling, 80’s glam rock overdrive for the guitar and huge leaps in vocal range straight into falsetto that first brought The Darkness roaring onto our radios and into our lives all those years ago. All The Pretty Girl’s is the opening track of the album and although it feels little like a vocal warm-up, it leaves us in no doubt that The Darkness are back.
“Buccaneers of Hispaniola” opens the album up a little more. There’s room for more vocal harmony and a well-rehearsed riff with intricate power rock fills, even the high-pitched screams from the vocals sound as though they’ve gained an extra octave from the opening track. There’s even a little solo tucked away near the end, Aerosmith would be proud. Later in the album and following in much the same vein is “Japanese Prisoner of Love”.
Yes, the song is exactly what you think it’s about – we won’t go into exact lyrics at this point. Although it starts off with an entry riff you’d expect in old-style heavy metal it soon springboards into the falsetto-wielding, random solo-ing, traditional rock song we’ve come to expect from The Darkness.
Not content to be solely a throwback to the glory days of catsuits and cock-rock however, there is a hugely socio-political track on the album – “Southern Trains”. It’s exactly what you’d expect, a blistering tirade railing against the much-hated franchise, and it’s as enjoyable as it is hilarious.
The band have attempted a slow song as well, to calm the speed and commuter rage of “Southern Trains” in the song “Why Don’t The Beautiful Cry?” It’s a valiant attempt at the ballads of the power rock like “November Rain”, but it falls massively short. The band’s comedic age makes it too shallow a song and they lack the raw passion required to make it anything but a token lighter-waving piece. Tucked away at the rear of the album is “Stampede of Love” however, and it does a much better job, with its slide guitar fills at filling the slot of ‘slow song’ of the album.
Whilst it might not be a fully slow song, or even a traditional love song, “Lay Down With Me, Barbara” seems to come off with the same theme as this ballad however.
It does however, with its strange take on the love rock ballad, bear more similarity to “Dinner Lady Arms” from their previous work. Both a little odd, but both good songs in their own right.
On the slightly more bluesey end of the band’s register comes “Solid Gold”. It’s a relatively simple song, but it’s polished well, and packed with glam rock swagger, solid gold referring to the band’s material and record sales, even with a couple of shots at record execs and a wailing guitar solo perfect to air guitar to. Whilst there might not be anything too special about the song it’s still enjoyable.
As the penultimate track of the album, “Happiness” is quite easily in competition for the best, or at least most enjoyable track of the album. Whilst it might not be what you’d expect from The Darkness, or even a veteran band in general, it’s a lot of fun and will almost definitely be taken over by many a pub band.
Overall, The Darkness may not have reached the same stratospheric heights of their massive debut album. But they have produced an album which is fun, and considering their material, lyrics and general outlook, I doubt their disappointed it not being a Hall of Fame record.
Author: Steve, Southgate store
