The Darkness is a name you might remember, but they split up ages ago right? Well you would be right… but they are back, and they mean business. Hot Cakes is the comeback from this once great band, and what a comeback it is. Full of catchy riffs, solid drumming and the falsetto voice of Justin Hawkins that you would expect from these guys.
The album opens with Every Inch Of You a catchy little number, with lyrics that are personal to the band and Justin’s life growing up, that just about every budding musician will be able to relate to.
Nothings Gonna Stop Us was the first new track that was released to the public, and one I absolutely loved the first time I heard it, it was this song that really hammered home to me that The Darkness we’re back, and they meant it. This track is back to the Permission To Land days and what many people consider to be the “real” Darkness sound. Filled with the catchy riffs from Dan and the simple chorus that you will be singing along to even on your first listen. If you have listened to this track on YouTube, you will instantly pick up on the changes that have been made to it, that just set it alight.
Half way through the album they slow things down and break out the acoustic guitars for the first ballad Living Each Day Blind that if you liked Love Is Only A Feeling then you will love this. The track showcases one of the better solos on the album as well.
The album is closed off with a cover of Radiohead’s Street Spirit (Fade Out) to me this is the perfect song to finish the album off with. The song is one that lends itself very well to The Darkness and they make it make it their own. The first time I heard the track it gave me goose bumps, this is something that a song hasn’t done for a long time. Dan plays the guitars perfectly through the song and Justin’s falsetto adds to the power of the song.
This album is one of the best albums I have heard this year, if not the best, and for me is a contender for my album of the year. The album is very close to Permission To Land however the band have grown up and matured quite a bit in their time apart. The whole album sounds great and it sounds like the band loved every minute of being in the studio recording it.
The fact that music has the ability to change moods is something that has always amazed me, and for me this album is one that will instantly change my mood, every time I listen to it I cant help but feel happy and just forget about everything else that might be going on around me at the time.
If you are a fan of The Darkness then you are going to absolutely love this album.