Music Review: Throwback band The Darkness drags past into light
When I first watched the music video for “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” by The Darkness, I laughed out loud. It has deliberately tacky special effects, takes place in space and features a long-haired singer who wears a tight, white full-body suit. It splits down the middle of his torso, going down past his navel, dangerously close to some tattooed flames. The bassist’s handlebar mustache and headband are a nice added touch.
Then I closed my eyes and listened to the music on the band’s debut CD, “Permission to Land,” and I realized that most of it is surprisingly good. And the best part is these British rockers seem to be having their cake and eating it, too. The Darkness spoofs late ’70s guitar rock in dress, like Queen and Led Zeppelin, and ’80s butt rock in the music itself. And through it all, it belts out some seriously hard-core rock anthems and love ballads.
When was the last time you heard a falsetto “Guitar!” before a savage guitar solo? I thought such cheesiness went the way of the dodo. But not with The Darkness.
And “Love is only a Feeling” is dripping with the influence of the slower power ballads of Motley Crue, Poison and even Guns ‘N’ Roses. Get out your lighters and start swayin’.
“I have seen, I have touched, I have tasted and I truly believe,” swears lead singer Justin Hawkins, and you almost believe him. Postmodern irony be damned!
I’d love to see Hawkins perform Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” as he did in a karaoke competition before the band was formed. His voice doesn’t have the same soulful screech as Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant, but he does project a certain Freddie Mercury-like operatic resonance on the high notes of the softer songs.
The only downside of the album is that it’s not chock-full of great songs. When I first heard “Believe” and “Feeling,” I hoped all the songs were that good, but not quite. “Black Shuck” isn’t anything special and the best thing about “Get Your Hands off My Woman” is the title. Those songs get a little bit too cookie-cutter, which is fine for the people who treat it as only a parody album.
One track on the album is “Love on the Rocks with no Ice.” I wonder if that song is a sideways reference to the Neil Diamond song “Love on the Rocks.” The chorus of “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” has the lyrics “Touching me, touching you,” which is also part of the chorus of the Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline.”
I suspect a revival is afoot. The ’70s hairstyles are everywhere, and the music somehow seems fresh again. History is repeating itself in the music industry, and besides The Darkness, other retro bands are popping up. See the video for Jet’s “Are You Gonna be My Girl?” It has tones of early punk, more so than pop, but has the feel of a Ramones or Black Crowes wailer
“Growing on Me,” a great track, has an even better video. Reminiscent of Bon Jovi’s edge-of-the-cliff guitar solo in “Blaze of Glory” are the breathtaking shots of guitarist Dan Hawkins going all out on the Blue Mountains of Australia. Rarely have the hills been this alive with the sound of music.
A word of caution: I heard the Wal-Mart version of the CD, in which the band actually sings alternate lyrics than it has in the uncut album. I hear that the swearing is rampant on the original version, but hey, maybe that’s just the Guns ‘N’ Roses side of them coming out.
Mark LaRocco is a senior majoring in print/broadcast journalism. Comments may be sent to him at marklaroc@cc.usu.edu.