The Darkness
Pinewood Smile

THE REVIEW

From a band like the Darkness, we always know what to expect: for them to do the Darkness.

They can do it sometimes well, sometimes less so; with the previous “Last Of Our Kind” they had almost completely disappointed (and no wonder, it was the album where they had distanced themselves the most from the Holy Trinity of AC/DC, Queen, and Guns N’ Roses, with whom they have just shared some live performances), but with this new “Pinewood Smile” they get back on track and achieve their best work post-reunion.

Produced by a good name like Adam Bushby (Foo Fighters, Muse), recorded in Cornwall and released by Cooking Vinyl, the new album is the first to feature the novelty of Rufus Tiger Taylor (yes, he's indeed the son of Roger Taylor from Queen) behind the drums. And the lad immediately proves he is not (just) a daddy's boy: his rhythms invigorate and perfectly punctuate each track of the album, enriching the already established sound of the flamboyant Hawkins brothers.

It opens with “All The Pretty Girls,” a launch single and an excellent compendium of the Darkness sound, albeit this time slightly leaning toward the pop. From the following “Buccaneers Of Hispaniola,” things get more serious; the guitars start to truly attack and lead to the shameless homage to AC/DC in the amusing second single “Solid Gold,” a fierce tirade against the fickleness of the music industry.

From there on, the repertoire is absolutely complete: there's the road homage to their mates Guns (the third single “Southern Trains”), there are the languid ballads (which don't have the strength of a “Love Is Only a Feeling” but are absolutely noteworthy, like “Why Don’t The Beautiful Cry?” and “Lay Down With Me, Barbara”), there’s the sly tribute to Queen with “I Wish I Was In Heaven” and even a piece akin to “Permission To Land” (“Happiness”) before the folksy closure with “Stampede Of Love.”

The Darkness, in short, continue to be the Darkness, claiming a place as heirs to an increasingly distant tradition. It's up to you to decide if this is a merit or a flaw.

Best track: “Happiness”