One Way Ticket - Mark Wright

Advantages: Flamboyant return to form for Lowestoft camp rockers
Disadvantages: Not quite as many sure-fire hits as Permission To Land

..., this certainly is. Bombastic power-ballads and tsunami-sized stadium-rock fillers litter the album which opens well with drug story single 'One Way Ticket'. Other standout tracks include second single 'Is It Just Me?', 'English Country Garden' (which struggles to sound like Queen more) and 'Knockers' which reopens the 'are they taking the piss?' debate. The Old Joanna (English Country Garden) and strings of the classical sort (Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time) add to the familiar glam/eighties rock sound to give this an extra bite previously unheard by the Darkness. However, where 'One Way…' slips a little may be in the slight absence of chart-busting anthems we have air-guitarred to in 2004. But then when four of the top ten hits of this decade come from reality show contestants, how much relevance should a self-made band like... Read review

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Advantages: Some fun old style rock tracks
Disadvantages: Moments of naffness

...Gees in the late 1970s. And exactly how do you follow up a debut album that had been nominated for the Mercury Music Prize as one of the best albums of the year, anyway? "Permission to Land" was always likely to be a difficult act to follow. It was a brand of music not seen in many years, largely harking back to the days of glam rock, so it had a certain freshness about it. Combined with some very expensive looking, if slightly tacky, videos and a pretty decent live show, it drew fans by the thousand. It could be argued that Justin's falsetto was as annoying as it was distinctive and could have done with an off switch, but many didn't seem to care. So, boys, follow that! The album opens with the first single and nearly title track, "One Way Ticket". The intro is a little over long and sounds a bit like Enigma, which is a worry... Read review

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Advantages: Amusing, Well Produced, Strong Melodies
Disadvantages: Juvenile in Places

..."One Way Ticket to Hell and Back" was the second and final album from the Queen-meets-Spinal Tap rockers "The Darkness". The album has been belittled and berated by critics everywhere for its crass use of allegedly predictable lyrics coupled with run-of-the-mill guitar riffs; but is it really all that bad? Not in my opinion, no. The album kicks off a little annoyingly with a minute's extraordinarily gradual crescendo panpipe introduction to the album's title track "One Way Ticket". Finally the metal guitars and thick, rhythmic drums kick in to start the album off properly with one of the band's more fun songs. There was a lot of controversy surrounding the lyrics to this fun, catchy piece of pop-rock when it was initially released as a single because of the drug-fuelled lyrics. But in all honesty, this band never aimed... Read review

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