Label: Cooking Vinyl
Released: 19th November 2021
Rating: ★★★
Having come through a late-2000s period of strife and indefinite hiatus, these days The Darkness are a model of consistency and reliability. No, they’re not going to rule the airwaves with another smash single, but the Lowestoft rockers have settled into their niche and pump out records every couple of years to their established following. Having admirers like Ed Sheeran and Lady Gaga take you out on tour certainly doesn’t hurt either.
The ridiculous ‘Welcome Tae Glasgow’ sets the tone for this latest offering, with histrionic riffs and a cheeky serenade to the charms of the Scottish city. Title track ‘Motorheart’ is a complex metaller, shapeshifting and lurching around as Justin Hawkins tells us all about his android amour, a concept that thankfully doesn’t form the basis of the album. Instead we get treated to the best genre of Darkness track; ‘Jussy’s Girl’ and ‘Sticky Situation’ reignite the band’s love of ABBA with some unashamed balladry.
As should be clear from Justin and Dan reeling off the route of their bar crawl on ‘Eastbound’, having once conquered the mainstream The Darkness are content enough making music for themselves these days.
