BRILLIANTLY WAYWARD ROCK’N’ROLL: THE DARKNESS’ NEW RECORD DREAMS ON TOAST

ALBUM REVIEW | THE DARKNESS – DREAMS ON TOAST by Isobel O’Mahony

High pitched and full throttle rock kings The Darkness have returned for their eighth studio album Dreams On Toast. From genre jumping to front man Justin Hawkins’ insane vocals that are just as good as in ‘I Believe in a Thing Called Love’, the new record takes you down roads you weren’t prepared for and, in the words of the first song – ‘Rock and Roll Party Cowboy’ – it’s just a big party.

There were definitely some unexpected twists and turns throughout the album; a country twang rears its head in tracks ‘Hot on my Tail‘ and ‘Cold Hearted Woman‘. There’s a strange dance between both The Chicks and ELO influences, with beautiful country strings and eerie harmonies. It’s an odd turn for the band but one that pays off well in the scope of the record. You get the feeling that The Darkness are a band who write to play hard and play live, and even these slower more acoustic tracks would move a stadium (probably more swaying than headbanging in this case).

Amongst the southern branches of Dreams on Toast, there was always of course the iconic noise of the band. Starting tracks ‘Rock and Roll Party Cowboy’ and ‘I Hate Myself’ take you back to early 2000s, hair as long as Rapunzel Darkness (these are the ones that will have you headbanging). I found myself exasperated, asking myself how on earth is Justin Hawkins still hitting these top notes? What’s the magic that’s preserved his vocal chords for twenty years?

Upon further inspection, it must be in the genes, because Darkness guitarist and fellow Hawkins brother Dan shreds on these tracks like his life depends on it. The solo on ‘The Battle for Gadget Land’ is shocking to your ears; it’s so good you have to wonder if any fingers were injured in the ridiculous making of that riff.

There’s some jazzy moments woven into this playtime of a record, in tracks like ‘The Longest Kiss‘ and ‘Don’t Need Sunshine‘. Whilst still in keeping with their beloved sound as a band, there’s a brightness and joy to this album that’s not just brilliant heavy drums. ‘Mortal Dread‘ is one of the favourites on the record for me, with a Bryan Adams-esque intro, a tone reminiscent of Axl Rose meets a subdued AC/DC and a random piano break; a wayward song for a brilliantly wayward record.

The ending to the album does lose a slight bit of steam, with ballad ‘Weekend in Rome‘ closing the record. Whilst still a beautiful tune, it seems more fit that penultimate song ‘Walking Through Fire‘ should hold the important last spot as a solid, very Darkness track. However, this structure and the final track only emphasises the feeling that you shouldn’t and couldn’t know what to expect from this album, making it all the more interesting.

Unlike the (subjective) British delicacy of beans on toast, I doubt this album is as controversial – who doesn’t like good old fashioned rock and roll? With insane electric guitar and vocals and exploration into other styles, it’ll have fans wired and waiting for the live shows. Is the record the best thing since sliced bread? Sliced bread is overrated, Dreams on Toast is where it’s at.

Dreams on Toast is OUT NOW via Cooking Vinyl