At times on One Way Ticket to Hell...And Back, shades of Journey and Aerosmith can be heard (sometimes in the same song, as in "Is It Just Me?"). At other times, it sounds like the band has been joined in the studio by the Memphis Horns (like with "Girlfriend," a song also notable for rhyming "her" with "yer"). Hard rock is still the rule on this album, though, and ringing falsetto harmonies abound.
Two of the most effective songs on the album bear the unmistakable mark of Queen, both for their majesty and their melodrama. This may be the mark of Roy Thomas Baker, their veteran producer who has worked with Queen as well as David Bowie, the Stones and the Who. "English Country Garden" is a strange song somewhat reminiscent of the Beatles' "Octopus's Garden," except that it's about the transience of love at a rural fair. "I've never seen a bale of hay move so fast," sings Hawkins. "She was a bona fide forking genius."
"Blind Man" is a gorgeous, melodramatic ballad with a string section and preposterous lyrics. It's hard to get away with a line like "his tears fall on deaf ears," but The Darkness seem able pull off this kind of lyrical mot injuste again and again.One of the best tracks on the album is "Hazel Eyes," which opens up with a slight Led Zeppelin feeling before delving into a rocked-out section with a medieval-sounding Scottish melody. (Plus there are bagpipes!)
While The Darkness certainly wear some of their influences on their sleeves, the touchstones of classic rock merely act as guideposts, not templates. They may be an amalgam of different styles, but they're a talent unto themselves. When their third album comes out, we can expect more blistering power chords, an even higher falsetto, and, of course, more cowbell!
Article comments
1 - -E
I was wondering if The Darkness was gonna stick around or be more of a "One Hit Wonder" band. I hope they stick around as their first album cracks me up (I actually woke up with one of their songs in my head this morning). I'm glad you liked the album, I'll have to give it a listen.
2 - JTEE
Finally....a good review on the CD. I think this album also showed the band's maturity. The sign of a great rock band is that they don't sound exactly the same from album to album. I LOVE THIS CD.
3 - Gary Diamond
No-one knows what it is about the Darkness, but no matter how ludacrous they seem to become, anyone with a sense of humour when it comes to music can still appreciate that they are FUN.
After all, shouldn't good rock music be a light-hearted romp that'll make your feet tap at low volumes and your head bang at higher ones? Especially, you could say, when it's being played by a spandex-attired falsetto-voiced gentleman singing about a woman with "Dinner Lady Arms".
If you think their debut was overblown - and lets face it, subtlety was sorely lacking - you're still going to be surprised at how bombastic this one is. But the excessive approach works quite well, even if it can detract from the overall groove of the basic drums/guitar format at times.
The behind-the-bikeshed lyrical charm is still present, which when coupled with layered vocals that could shatter glass from a hundred feet, makes for some amusing moments: 'You're pushing thirty, well thirty stone', 'Put your arms around me; your dinner lady arms', 'Chewing off my face, talking absolute rubbish' to name a few.
Pretty much every track has good to great hooks, although these are not as naggingly insistant as those on the debut are a few listens you'll know the title of each track and all the best lines.
Above all, this is out of the ordinary. Amidst a backdrop of disco beat rockers with sensible haircuts the Darkness are pretty damn hard to miss, and on the strength of this showing that is a very good thing.
(*)(*)(*)(*)( )
4 - Temple Stark
The section editor chose this as a pick of the week. Go HERE to find out why.
Also, as a part of being a pick you get to make a pick of your own for anytime from Dec. 3 on. Click the same HERE link to find out how.
Thank you.
Temple
5 - ed
best band ever. the new album is amazing
6 - Harver
I wish they hadent split up