The Darkness - Pinewood Smile (Deluxe Edition) (2017) [Official Digital Download]

The Darkness are back and ready to blow up your speakers again. The band has titled their fifth full-length album Pinewood Smile and they’ve provided fans with some new music to check out in the form or a track called “All the Pretty Girls.” With a high pitched distortion followed by Justin Hawkins‘ wail and the addition of drums and guitars, the track sets off through an upbeat and catchy journey. There’s a few muscular licks in there, with Hawkins occasionally showing off his falsetto and throwing in a few barks for good measure. Check out the song in the player above.

As for Pinewood Smile, the album now carries an Oct. 6 street date through Cooking Vinyl. Speaking about why music fans should care about the Darkness, Hawkins says, “Because if you don’t, we’re f–ked!! History will remember us as the apathetic generation who negligently ushered in a dreadful dystopian age that may or may not come to be known as ‘The Rise of the Arseclowns.’ We cannot allow this to continue! You may not give a s–t about Brexit or Trump, but PLEASE… give a s–t about The Darkness otherwise the last bastion of cultural sensibility will fall and our airwaves will be polluted by meaningless pop purveyed by arseholes and morons… Oh wait!”

The album also features such choice tracks as “Buccaneers of Hispaniola,” the expletive-laden “Southern Trains,” the emotional “Why Don’t the Beautiful Cry?,” the anthemic “Japanese Prisoner of Love” and the raucous “Solid Gold.” See the full track listing below.

If you dig what you hear on “All the Pretty Girls” and want to go all in on the album, you can pre-order the disc via the platform of your choosing here. The song “All the Pretty Girls” will be made available as an instant-grat download for those who do pre-order.

The group also has a new documentary on their comeback in progress. To learn more about the film, which is due in 2018, and learn how you can help fund it, head to the band’s Indiegogo campaign page. Look for The Darkness returning to the road in late fall, with dates in October, November and December taking place in Europe. See all their scheduled shows listed here.

Another in-your-face album from a band that is truly the last of their kind. Gave the album a few listens through before commenting, and there is definitely not a weak track on the album. I would agree with others who said this is their strongest album since Permission to Land. Its obviously a matter of taste, but I would describe it as they took the best of what you'd find on Hot Cakes and The Last of Our Kind and delivered an up-tempo album that captures the best of both: you have a punchy metal feel that they hinted at with Street Spirit, the acoustic guitar and of course, monster riffs all thru. Favorites: Solid Gold (classic cheeky Darkness, fun anthem rock), Southern Trains (for anyone who takes public transportation), Why Don't the Beautiful Cry (shows the more mature side of the band and represents something not found on Permission to Land), I Wish I Was in Heaven and Happiness (the nostalgic tracks, one lamenting, one celebrating).

Tracklist:

01. All The Pretty Girls
02. Buccaneers of Hispaniola
03. Solid Gold
04. Southern Trains
05. Why Dont the Beautiful Cry?
06. Japanese Prisoner of Love
07. Lay Down With Me, Barbara
08. I Wish I Was In Heaven
09. Happiness
10. Stampede of Love
11. Uniball (Bonus Track) 3
12. Rack of Glam (Bonus Track)
13. Seagulls (Losing My Virginity) (Bonus Track)
14. Rock In Space (Bonus Track)



All thanks go to the original releaser