THE DARKNESS: Dreams On Toast (HARD ROCK): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

The eighth album from The Darkness, and sixth since they reformed in 2011, “Dreams On Toast” confirms once again that the Hawkins brothers are still not ready to settle down. With their wacky lyrics, which some might call silly, their zany video clips and their undefined musical style, which ranges from hard rock to country, The Darkness have always liked to shake things up and bathe their albums in an atmosphere of nonsense. Guess what? "Dreams On Toast" is no exception.

Lovers of rock gimmicks and clichés in the broadest sense of the term, this album is made for you. The vast majority of tracks have an air of "already heard", with an impressive number of rhythmic and melodic plans that have been worn out to the bone for decades. 'Rock and Roll Party Cowboy' is a frenzied rock anthem, a curious cross between ZZ Top and AC/DC, ‘I Hate Myself’ sounds like ‘Show Time Warp’ from The Rocky Horror Picture Show, ‘Hot On My Tail’ is a weird country song that would be right at home in a Disney movie, 'Mortal Dread' is once again (very) reminiscent of AC/DC, the soft and generic ‘Don't Need Sunshine’ and ‘The Battle For Gadget Land’, this time in a punk register, could be found on a Weezer (or similar) album, ‘The Longest Kiss’ seems strongly inspired by E. L.O.‘s 'Mr Blue Sky’, and ‘Walking Through Fire’ is curiously reminiscent of a track made by The Darkness that had some success at the time.

If we disregard these inspirations, which can sometimes be very (too) invasive, we have to give The Darkness credit for a certain success in making this amalgam rather digestible. Small solos, a few original bridges (‘Rock and Roll Party Cowboy’, ‘Mortal Dread’) and versatile vocals that can easily rise to the highs break up the monotony of tracks that aren't always entertaining over the long haul, the prize going to the improbable ‘Weekend In Rome’, which seems to have landed on this album by mistake, and above all to the very cheesy ‘Cold Hearted Woman’, which nothing can save (and certainly not its choruses).

Without claiming to be a shipwreck or an absolute masterpiece, “Dreams On Toast” is certainly not the best The Darkness have produced to date, but it does have a few songs that deserve to end up on one or more playlists. Its reception will essentially depend on the degree of derision you're able to stomach regarding the lyrics, the definition you give to the influences scattered throughout (homage or plagiarism) and your personal pleasure at hearing for the nth time musical forms that have already proved their worth over several decades. - Official website

THE DARKNESS

DREAMS ON TOAST

COOKING VINYL

HARD ROCK