The Darkness – Pinewood Smile (Cooking Vinyl)
 |
| The Darkness - Pinewood Smile |
Release Date: 6th October 2017
So, The Darkness are back. Some
will rejoice, some will roll their eyes and some will ask, “who are the
darkness?”. Well, for the latter two groups, the Darkness are the bratty
offspring of AC/DC who have inherited the family silver and are hell bent on
spunking it all up a wall but having a right good
laugh while they’re about it.
And so, on to the music.
New album ‘Pinewood Smile’ is a more
knowing affair having tasted the highs and almost inevitable lows of rock’n’roll
and opener ‘All The Pretty Girls’ is the perfect encapsulation of that
new-found knowledge. A squall of feedback followed by a thunderous rumble of
drums and we’re off on a text book explanation of just how rock’n’roll can make
the most pug-ugly folk attractive – just ask Meatloaf. ‘Bucaneers of Hisponiola’
is a more theatrical affair but those guitars and screaming vocals of the
Hawkins brothers are in full effect and the heaviness feels more fitting in a
world that is ready to rock more than it has been in recent years. Recent single
‘Solid Gold’ is still an absolute belter and if I ever take up running
(unlikely) this will definitely be on my playlist.
 |
| The Darkness - not one designated driver |
‘Southern Trains’ was released
recently with a self(ie) made video to accompany it and for anyone who has ever
suffered the woeful inadequacies of the privatised British rail network this is
surely a rallying call, or at the very least an anthem if disquiet. There’s
some let up in the onslaught on ‘Why Don’t The Beautiful Cry?’ which channels
elements of Queen and features the word ‘blubbing’ which may well be a first.
The riff that opens ‘Japanese Prisoner of Love’ is somewhere between Muse and
Royal Blood which means it rocks hard but, this being the darkness, it has a
more Tenacious D approach to songwriting.
Now, I love a good song title as
much as the next guy but ‘Lay Down With Me, Barbara’ seems particularly obtuse
until you hear that it’s been shoe-horned in to rhyme thusly; “lay down with me,
Barbara, underneath the candelarbra”. There’s also the line “who needs
moonlight, moonlight’s rubbish anyway” which genuinely made me lol in a way
only the Darkness could. On ‘I Wish I Was In Heaven’ the band hit the middle of
the road while ‘Happiness’ is a very British tale of holiday romance complete
with seagull sounds and if sung by a bunch of American teen emos you’d probably
take it entirely seriously which would be entirely missing the point.
The album closes on the curiously
acoustic ‘Stampede of Love’, a song with a culinary theme and more than a hint
of country about it. For anyone who hates the Darkness then this album will do
nothing to change your mind. However, if you’re already in the fan club or your
new to the phenomena then I suggest you strap on your air guitar, secure a tie
around your head and get your rock on. It’s a whole lot of fun.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/thedarknessofficial/
Live Dates:
13th October – Dolans Warehouse, Limerick City
14th October – The Academy, Dublin
15th October – The Limelight, Belfast
3rd November – Razzmatazz 2, Barcelona
4th November – Sala But, Madrid
5th November – Kafe Antzokia, Bilbao
8th November – Alcatraz, Milan
9th November – Orion, Ciampino
10th November – Vox Club, Nonatola
12th November – Simm City Festsaal Zentrum
Simmering, Vienna
13th November – Technikum, Munchen
14th November – Columbia Theater, Berlin
16th November – Matrix, Bochum
19th November – Le Trabendo, Paris
20th November – Z7 Konzertfabrik, Pratteln
23rd November – O2 Guildhall, Southampton
24th November – Academy, Manchester
25th November – King George’s Hall, Blackburn
27th November – O2 Academy, Leeds
28th November – O2 Academy, Newcastle
29th November – O2 Academy, Glasgow
1st December – Victoria Hall, Stoke On Trent
2nd December – Rock City, Nottingham
3rd December – Norwich Nick Rayns LCR UEA,
Norwich
5th December – G Live, Guildford
7th December – Southend Cliffs Pavilion,
Westcliff On Sea
9th December – O2 Academy, Birmingham
10th December – Eventim Apollo, London
11th December – Dome, Brighton
13th December – St David’s Hall, Cardiff
14th December – Colston Hall, Bristol