The Darkness

[DudeAsInCool]

In his review, Scott Plagenhoef of Pitchfork provides a sound case as to why The Darkness are a band to pay attention to:

"If I'd gone to journalism school rather than just gaining pre-employment experience arseing around the Michigan Daily offices reading copies of Melody Maker, I'd have learned that one rule in writing is that I should "know my audience." And I'm pretty sure that, in this case, a large portion of my audience has already decided that they just might hate The Darkness. I hope not, because making snap judgments-- especially ones based on anything except, y'know, what's coming out of your speakers and whether or not it engages you-- seems like a bit of a foolish thing to do. If you're that convinced that The Darkness are a bad post-po-mo joke unfairly unleashed on the world, turn back now, listen to the new Books album, and feel safe in the knowledge that most of the Pitchfork staff probably thinks I'm nuts.

The Darkness are from England and they wear things like open-chested catsuits and tight trousers. Sometimes these outfits are made of leather; sometimes they have animal prints. The band members sport long hair and look like they stepped off the stage at Castle Donington circa 1980. To a lot of people, this means The Darkness couldn't possibly be any good.

..Too often, music fans fall for marketing without realizing it. For instance, by refusing to engage with a band like The Darkness on any level solely because of a preconceived notion of what they appear to be "about," you'd actually be more swayed by marketing and image than the kids checking the disc out on the listening station. Besides, looking silly-- or at least risking looking silly-- can only be good for a band like The Darkness. Big Guitar Rock, after all, used to be silly. It used to be pretty good, too. AC/DC, Queen, Black Sabbath, KISS, and Led Zeppelin (have you seen The Song Remains the Same?) were all absurd. Claiming any allegiance with the devil and buying Aleister Crowley's house are ridiculous prospects. Smashing your instruments and lighting your guitar on fire are both pretty stupid-looking, too, when you get right down to it. But that's the whole problem with rock right now: It doesn't do those things anymore. There's nothing heroic about it, nothing demonstrative, nothing to capture the imagination.

So, then, what do The Darkness sound like? Well, they're a blend of 70s pomp-rock, early 80s metal, and bombastic, shiny arena rock. What they do well might be best exemplified by "I Believe in a Thing Called Love", which most effectively pairs their sense of theatricality and grandiosity with their penchant for great pop hooks. Meanwhile, "Black Shuck" channels AC/DC (there really ought to be a lightning bolt key), "Growing on Me" throws back to David Lee Roth-era Van Halen, and "Love Is a Only a Feeling" invokes 70s rock ballad extravagance. Elsewhere, "Stuck in a Rut", "Get Your Hands Off of My Woman" and "Holding My Own" demonstrate the range of singer Justin Hawkins' voice as it flits between all the classic rock modes: flamboyant, delicate, gravely. They also have a delightful glam track called "Friday Night" that very nicely highlights his posh vowel sounds."

Read more @ Pitchfork

[lackofcolor]

amen to that

[DudeAsInCool]

amen to that

Welcome to Beatking, LOC

[LadyLuck]

Welcome to Beatking, LOC

I like this band. Well written review, Dude.

[DudeAsInCool]

I like this band. Well written review, Dude.

It was from Pitchfork...it has now been edited to contain quotation marks