| Written by Alex Stojanovic TRACK LISTING All The Pretty Girls Buccaneers Of Hispaniola Solid Gold Southern Trains Why Don't The Beautiful Cry? Japanese Prisoner Of Live Lay Down With Me, Barbra I Wish I Was In Heaven Happiness Stampede Of Love Release Date: October 6, 2017 Label: Cooking Vinyl Records Website: www.thedarknesslive.com |  |
THE DARKNESS IS:
Justin Hawkins - Lead vocals & guitars Dan Hawkins - Guitars & backing vocals Frankie Poullain - Bass & backing vocals
Rufus Tiger Taylor - Drums & percussion
Justin Hawkins - Lead vocals & guitars Dan Hawkins - Guitars & backing vocals Frankie Poullain - Bass & backing vocals
Rufus Tiger Taylor - Drums & percussion
While some may look at The Darkness as a one-hit wonder because of the success of "I Believe In A Thing Called Love", they always dismiss the fact that they've churned out some solid hard rock. When I was in junior high school, I listened to Permission To Land and One Way Ticket To Hell & Back quite a bit when they came out. I haven't listened to those records for quite a while up until recently, and I found myself taking a trip down memory lane to my junior high school years. The two albums they released since their reformation: Hot Cakes and Last Of Our Kind were good, but neither of them grabbed me in the way the first two albums did, so I was hoping that the band's new album Pinewood Smile would do the opposite.
Anyone that knows The Darkness gets that they have quite the sense of humour and they have no shame in spilling it on to their albums. It may be ridiculous humour, but it's not at the Steel Panther level, which is the extremely cringe-worthy level. A few primary examples would be "Solid Gold", with the catchy line: "We're never gonna stop shitting out solid gold." and "Southern Trains" as a whole, although the lyrics in the latter sound pretty juvenile. However, my favourite comedic moment is during the last track "Stampede Of Love" where after what was a pretty ballad-esque track, it spontaneously turns into a 15-second thrash assault at the end followed by a member screaming "YOU F**KING C**T!". I had a pretty good laugh at that part.
Focusing on the highlights of the album, Justin Hawkins' vocals have not diminished one bit since Permission To Land. He still has the ability to hit those high notes. As for the songs that stand out, those include "Solid Gold" with its straightforward AC/DC style groove and catchy sing-along chorus, "Why Don't The Beautiful Cry?" due to its 70s classic rock vibe that immediately brings Queen to your mind, and despite the juvenile lyrics, "Southern Trains" stands out musically with the energetic riffs.
When it comes to the album's low points, the track "Happiness" won't exactly work with people who prefer more straight-ahead rock because it seems more like a pop song. To me, it doesn't fit the album. It would've been better if it was a bonus track. At the same time, tracks like "Lay Down With Me, Barbara" and "Japanese Prisoner Of Love" don't contain enough support to keep them standing. There's definitely great moments on this album, but I don't think this is an album I will listen to in full. If I want to listen to The Darkness, I will stick with Permission To Land and One Way Ticket To Hell & Back.
Highs: Justin Hawkins' vocal performance, "Solid Gold", "Why Don't The Beautiful Cry" and "Southern Trains".
Lows: "Happiness"
Final Rating: 6.5/10
Anyone that knows The Darkness gets that they have quite the sense of humour and they have no shame in spilling it on to their albums. It may be ridiculous humour, but it's not at the Steel Panther level, which is the extremely cringe-worthy level. A few primary examples would be "Solid Gold", with the catchy line: "We're never gonna stop shitting out solid gold." and "Southern Trains" as a whole, although the lyrics in the latter sound pretty juvenile. However, my favourite comedic moment is during the last track "Stampede Of Love" where after what was a pretty ballad-esque track, it spontaneously turns into a 15-second thrash assault at the end followed by a member screaming "YOU F**KING C**T!". I had a pretty good laugh at that part.
Focusing on the highlights of the album, Justin Hawkins' vocals have not diminished one bit since Permission To Land. He still has the ability to hit those high notes. As for the songs that stand out, those include "Solid Gold" with its straightforward AC/DC style groove and catchy sing-along chorus, "Why Don't The Beautiful Cry?" due to its 70s classic rock vibe that immediately brings Queen to your mind, and despite the juvenile lyrics, "Southern Trains" stands out musically with the energetic riffs.
When it comes to the album's low points, the track "Happiness" won't exactly work with people who prefer more straight-ahead rock because it seems more like a pop song. To me, it doesn't fit the album. It would've been better if it was a bonus track. At the same time, tracks like "Lay Down With Me, Barbara" and "Japanese Prisoner Of Love" don't contain enough support to keep them standing. There's definitely great moments on this album, but I don't think this is an album I will listen to in full. If I want to listen to The Darkness, I will stick with Permission To Land and One Way Ticket To Hell & Back.
Highs: Justin Hawkins' vocal performance, "Solid Gold", "Why Don't The Beautiful Cry" and "Southern Trains".
Lows: "Happiness"
Final Rating: 6.5/10
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