A trip that’s not worth taking

CAN you imagine anyone being more disheartened over the return of Queen to the concert trail than the Darkness? After all, the English band became a sensation in its excitable homeland and caused a minor love-it-or-hate-it eruption in the U.S. in 2003 mainly by reviving the strut and swagger of the late Freddie Mercury’s old group.

Now that Queen fans can get their kicks from the original players backing singer Paul Rodgers, the Darkness’ reason for being is reduced by a good half. They must really be hoping that AC/DC doesn’t reunite.

To be fair, these power-chording, cowbell-tapping, hook-cooking musicians stick to their guns on their second album, throwing some cheesy Foreigner homage and prog-rock Celticism into their anachro-rock mix. It’s actually possible to take some guilty, head-bobbing pleasure in the Darkness’ voracious annexation of hard rock’s primary totems.

The challenge in coming back for Round 2 was to make it more than a one-note joke, but the Darkness remains in its Spinal Tap mode for most of “One Way Ticket.” And the band continues to take undue pleasure in Justin Hawkins’ high-pitched shrieks, which bring to mind the falsetto whoops elicited by a sharp stick from the teenage singer on Stan Freberg’s classic comedy single “Old Payola Roll Blues.”

*

-- Richard Cromelin

*

Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor) to four stars (excellent). The albums are already released unless otherwise noted.