Makin' Out With The Darkness
Nov 02 '05
Pros
Two great songs, one good song...
Cons
Short, but that's the intent of a single...
The Bottom Line
If you want to get to know Justin and the boys, check out Permission to Land. If you want to get to know them even better check out the singles.
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| Full Review |
There are very few things that listeners need to know about The Darkness. First, they play good old fashioned cock rock riddled with sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Second, they are British. Third, lead singer Justin Hawkins wields one of the most impressive falsettos in rock and roll. Finally, the band is outstandingly fun.
Don’t go into listening to The Darkness with your thinking hat on. The band simultaneously makes fun of and honors power metal, arena rock, and hair metal of some twenty years ago. In addition to that fancy falsetto, Justin also boasts a fabulous wardrobe of spandex leotards that would even make Steven Tyler jealous. All obvious bulges aside, I became infatuated with The Darkness two years ago with Permission to Land and look forward to the forthcoming One Way Ticket to Hell…And Back.
While Justin Hawkins (who also plays keyboards and guitar) is the clear star of this band there is much more to The Darkness than his wild antics and outlandish attitude (and voice). His younger brother Dan plays guitars while Frankie Poullain is on bass and Ed Graham plays drums. Together, the four-man band has brought cock rock back while keeping their tongues firmly planted in their cheeks. This isn’t saying that the band hasn’t created some outstanding music; their singles are immediately entertaining and Permission to Land is a cohesive and energetic album.
The band’s ability to rock seamlessly translates to their singles. Arguably the best song The Darkness has released, I Believe in a Thing Called Love only barely outshines songs like Growing On Me and Get Your Hands Off My Woman. Fans were rewarded with a disc that included the single edit in addition to two non-album songs Makin’ Out and Physical Sex. All three are fan and concert favorites.
Of course the single released in 2003 begins strongly with the song you’d expect. I Believe in a Thing Called Love differs from the album version in that it is fuzzier and dirtier. It reflects the classic rock n’ roll aesthetic that the band is trying so hard to emulate. The instruments are loud, the vocals are kinetic, and the tempo is fast. There are guitar solos, lots of crashing Zildjians, and everything else you’d expect from rock and roll. You can’t go wrong with a song that’s outrageous but at the same time returns to the heart of the genre. The band sounds perfect.
It goes without saying that The Darkness have a fair share of influences. There are touches of Kiss, New York Dolls, and in the case of Makin’ Out AC/DC. The melody really isn’t all that similar and Justin’s vocals aren’t at all like Bon Scott’s or Brian Johnson’s. The guitar runs and solos are what really sound like the classic Aussie band. Hawkins channels Angus Young. The only thing he’s missing is a proper schoolboy outfit. While this may be at first distracting, I think the direction the song takes is very different from the original. The melody is pure pop and the topic is pure sex. It’s hard not to giggle at the references to the wet back seat.
Physical Sex wraps up the trilogy with more bombastic guitars and more yowling vocals courtesy of Justin. It’s not quite as immediately satisfying as Makin’ Out (that was meant in the least sexual sense possible) and it’s not as fabulous as I Believe in a Thing Called Love. That said I still enjoy the final song a good deal. It caps off this brief release nicely and provides a bit more material for fans to swoon over. It’s loud, wild, and crazy—everything I’ve come to expect from The Darkness.
This is a good single. I’m not always keen on these kinds of releases because sons often lose their meaning and importance when ripped from the context of their albums. In the case of The Darkness, I think their songs work incredibly well alone or on a full-length release. It would be ridiculous to say that this is a must-own disc, but for fans of The Darkness it is a treasure. If you’re new to the band, I highly suggest you buy Permission to Land and then explore from there. Good stuff…really good stuff…
Rating: 4/5 stars
Track Listing:
01. I Believe in a Thing Called Love
02. Makin’ Out
03. Physical Sex
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Related Review:
Permission to Land (2003)
http://www.epinions.com/content_113079586436
Recommended:
Yes
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![I Believe in a Thing Called Love [single] - The Darkness Movies](http://img.epinions.com/images/opti/94/03/I_Believe_in_a_Thing_Called_Love_single_-_The_Darkness-resized200.jpg)
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