Description
Label Review.
2017 album. England’s most distinctive, multiple award-winning, platinum-selling, hugely entertaining rock gods – and one-time saviours of rock’n’roll turned national pleasures – The Darkness are back with their fifth album ‘Pinewood Smile’, featuring the singles “All The Pretty Girls” & “Solid Gold”.
Our Overview.
Bursting onto the scene in 2002, The Darkness were seen as a bit of a joke at first but after a debut single on the independent Must Destroy label they were picked up by Atlantic Records and during 2003 were one of biggest bands in the UK with their debut album hitting No.1 and a couple of No.2 singles. After their second album failed to match the commercial heights of its predecessor, lead man Justin Hawkins quit the band with drug problems being one of the factors behind his decision. After a few years in the wilderness the band reformed and this is their third album since then.
“All The Pretty Girls” is a glorious, hard-rockin’, autobiographical anthem intellectually examining the fact that when you’re a rock star you get a lot of attention from ladies and discussing the ethical conundrums that come with that. “Solid Gold’ takes no prisoners whatsoever, taking direct aim at the music industry and addressing record companies, egos and the insincerity that comes with it. It will make uncomfortable listening for A&R men everywhere… “There’s a guy coming down from Sony / Artist and Repertoire. If he likes what he hears in those stupid ears / I can buy myself a faster car / Blowing smoke up our arses / Everything we do is ace / He wants to wine and dine us / He’s desperate to sign us/ Cos we melted his fucking face”.
Addressing the forthcoming album and The Darkness’ undoubted relevance in 2017, Justin asks, somewhat rhetorically of the world at large, “Why should anybody care? Because if you don’t, we’re fucked!! History will remember us as the apathetic generation who negligently ushered in a dreadful dystopian age that may or may not come to be known as ‘The Rise of the Arseclowns’. We cannot allow this to continue! You may not give a shit about Brexit or Trump, but PLEASE... give a shit about The Darkness otherwise the last bastion of cultural sensibility will fall and our airwaves will be polluted by meaningless pop purveyed by arseholes and morons... Oh wait!”
Written in Putney, recorded in Cornwall and produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Adrian Bushby (Foo Fighters, Muse), the compositions have all the crucial elements of classic Darkness fare, but with added layers for the ears to peel away at… like a sonic onion but a lot tastier. It also features the drumming and vocal talents of new band member Rufus Tiger Taylor, son of Queen legend Roger Taylor, who shares vocal duties with Justin on two of the tracks.