Permission to Land
The true spirit of flamboyant rock music is alive and kicking in the guise of The Darkness, a lycra-clad foursome from Suffolk making fantastic music. They aren’t making big statements on a global scale about politics or make trade fair, nor are they telling us how much, and why, they hate their parents, school, girlfriend, ‘hood etc. The Darkness are making simple music that they like, and if other people like it, then that’s a bonus. Other people do like their music, a regression to the style of 25years ago, think Spinal Tap, Hawkwind, AC/DC, Queen and Guns n Roses, Permission To Land is a sublime mix of all of the above, and then some more! The fantastic voice of Justin Hawkins and (in Justins words) ‘shit-hot’ guitar playing of brother Dan are backed up with true rock-style bass and drums, everything is in place for a band that may go a long way.
The album opens with Black Shuck, a mythical song telling of beasts, priests, and sacred spires! It sets the tone of the album and gives us insight into things to come. I dare anyone to stop listening after this song.
Before you have time to draw breath, Get Your Hands Off My Woman (Motherfucker!) is upon you. The topic of the song is self-evident, a dirty old man with six hands too many is after his lady. Growing on me is a song where Justin exercises his voice to alarming heights, almost yodelling his way through parts of the chorus, ‘I believe in a Thing called love’ is one of the best songs on the album (in my humble opinion!). Packed full of cheesey rock lyrics and catchy riffs eg. ‘My hearts in overdrive and you’re behind the steering wheel’, reminiscent of Kiss or Spinal Tap with Guns n Roses style guitars. Meanwhile, 'Love is only a feeling' is a rock ballad, giving a small amount of respite before the next track ‘Givin’ Up’, ‘Stuck In A Rut follows’ with more catchy lyrics and guitars. ‘Friday Night’ is an inventive song of Justins attempts to make a girl notice him through various extracurricular activities: ‘Thursday Badminton, Dancin On A Friday night’ etc. Next up, ‘Love On The rocks With No Ice’ gives Justin more chances to show how loud and high his voice goes, in case we werent amazed already! 'Holding My Own' is the last, and longest track on the album, and is a great way to end the album, its easy to imagine a stadium full of people swaying lighters in the air during Dans guitar solo.
Permission To Land is a great album that is getting rave reviews left, right and centre; and rightly so, it is well made, well written, catchy and you listen to the album all the way through without skipping a track because you don’t like it. Listen to this album with your dials turned to 11, because it warrants one more than 10!
9.0
CEWW 5/8/03