Out on the 28th March, ‘Dreams on Toast’ is The Darkness serving up glam rock with all the trimmings: bombast, glitter, and a side of absurdity that could only come from Justin Hawkins’ fevered brain. Described as a “lavish display of sonic delicacies” their eighth album is less a meal and more a banquet — ten tracks of strutting riffs, falsetto vocals, and hooks so sticky you’ll need a shower afterwards. If the four singles are the appetizer, the full platter dishes up a decadent, grandiose feast fit for the most hedonistic Darkness party.
“The Longest Kiss” is a piano-driven romp that swaggers into the room like Queen at their campest crashing a McCartney pub session. Inspired by a marathon loo break (per Hawkins’ own unhinged account), it sounds ridiculous but this irresistible rock jaunt swings in with a chorus that begs to be bellowed, and a guitar lick that winks at you from across the room. Then there is album opener “Rock and Roll Party Cowboy,” a title alone that is pure Darkness. Kicking off the album, the Lowestoft lads announce their return with a riff-heavy barnstormer dripping in cowboy-hat bravado.
“I Hate Myself” leans into self-aware melodrama, while “Walking Through Fire” — another single — finds their sleazy guitars, Hawkins falsetto cries, and rock posturing all primed to torch any stage they set foot on.
The track list throughout reads like a glam rock fever dream. “Mortal Dread” and “The Battle For Gadget Land” – the former is a delightful slice of bluesy AC/DC inspired rock, the latter possesses an almost Queens of the Stone Age grit to it.
“We popped out a dozen bangers before lunch,” he confidently boasts. The audacity alone makes you want to believe him. ‘Dreams On Toast’ isn’t just twelve trashy rock bangers though. “Hot On My Tail” offers the listener something of a curveball with its country jaunt, whereas tracks like “Cold Hearted Woman” and “Weekend In Rome” suggest a mix of heartache and nostalgia.
The Darkness have always thrived on excess, and ‘Dreams on Toast’ feels like their most confident slice of rock extravagance yet. Where ‘Permission to Land’ was a bolt from the blue, their eighth album leans hard into their glam roots – think big choruses, bigger hair, and a refusal to take anything too seriously. Hawkins calls it “rock sweet rock” served atop “the charred remains of our envious contemporaries,” and while you can’t help but laugh at his confidence, there are so many moments throughout where you find yourself nodding in agreement.
Like the banquet Hawkins mentioned, ‘Dreams On Toast’ has something for everyone. The piano-drenched “Don’t Need Sunshine” is one of the curveball dishes, while “The Battle For Gadget Land” is the glorious mess this musical meal begs to descends into. The Darkness are here to dazzle, they’re here to party, they’re here to rock. ‘Dreams on Toast’ sounds like a love letter to their fans, a middle finger to their doubters, and a glitter-bombed victory lap for a band that refuses to fade.
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