THE DARKNESS - Permission To Land...Again
October 26, 2023, 7 months ago
(Atlantic)
It was understandable to assume just by looking at The Darkness when they first hit the scene that they were merely mimicking the bands of the ‘80s (particularly Justin Hawkins' flamboyant fashion sense – which seemed to combine elements of vintage Freddie, Tyler, and DLR). But when their full-length debut originally arrived in 2003, Permission To Land, it turned out that the Brit band – which also included Justin’s bro Dan on guitar, Frankie Poullain on bass, and Ed Graham on drums – also had the tunes to back up all the media hubbub (which was particularly boiling over in their homeland).
And on the 20th anniversary of the album’s release comes Permission To Land…Again – available in both vinyl and CD formats. Included are the original LP, studio bonus tracks (i.e. demos), singles/b-sides, and live performances from two different ’03 shows (Knebworth and the Astoria).
While “I Believe In A Thing Called Love” remains the album’s most popular tune, you still can’t go wrong with “Get Your Hands Off My Woman,” “Growing On Me,” and “Love On The Rocks With No Ice.”
And although they never topped their debut, The Darkness remain in business to this day, with Justin still the band’s focal point – thanks to his popular Justin Hawkins Rides Again Podcast, and his show-stealing performances as both Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts last year.
