|
They say Mariah Carey sings notes only a dog
can hear. Well on this showing Justin Hawkins
could be having a few conversations with whales in the
near future. The falsetto shrieks are as piercing as
ever, and crucially, the songs are just as good
too.
The album title could almost be autobiographical,
as it seemed not long ago that The Darkness were
heading for their own private hell, with no return
ticket stub. Initial material for the second album was
far from promising when given an outing live, the
in-band ructions with then bassist Frankie
Poullain refused to go away, and then there was
Justin's more than recreational use of cocaine.
This gets tackled head on in the title track, with
great success and humour, not least in the line "I'm
always trying to keep my vices under wraps". It's an
effective way of making light of a heavy issue, a
tactic he uses elsewhere. For despite its pomp,
glitter and obvious humour this album deals with some
surprisingly stark issues - drug addiction, baldness
and a hint of impotence. This takes place in the
quaintly titled Knockers, Justin singing the
unforgettable line, "you're beautiful and busty, but
I'm a little rusty". Two of the three power ballads
pack quite a punch - Bald goes for the big, operatic
gesture, while It Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time
is an introspective laced with regret and an overdone
string section. But since when were The Darkness about
understatement?
One track is frankly bizarre, and that's not even
Hazel Eyes, where Scotch reel influences permeate to
hugely enjoyable effect. Girlfriend seems a strange
piece of radio pop for the band to come out with, the
vocals seemingly an octave too high and with a hugely
indulgent and rather unfortunate keyboard solo. Still,
you allow them that when the whirligig English Country
Garden follows, a rollicking piano-led song with an
outrageous lyrical couplet or two.
Influences? They've had a few, and not just the
powdered variety. This album couldn't have come about
once again without such rock monsters as Queen,
Kiss and any other number of seventies glam
outfits. Bachmann-Turner Overdrive, too, whose
influence is more than evident in Is It Just Me?
But even if you have a problem with The Darkness, I
defy you not to enjoy this album. They have a sound
that is still instantly recognisable, and Justin
retains his knack of coupling wonderfully English
lyrics and observations with melodies of huge hit
making potential. There's plenty of room for them in
today's pop climate.
Comments
|
 |
|
ALBUM:
more 