{{more citations needed|date=September 2017}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}} {{Use British English|date=October 2017}} {{Infobox album | name = Pinewood Smile | type = studio | artist = The Darkness | cover = The Darkness - Pinewood Smile Cover.jpg | alt = | released = {{start date|2017|10|06|df=y}} | recorded = | venue = | studio = Vada Studios (Worcestershire) | genre = {{hlist|Hard rock|glam rock}} | length = {{duration|m=36|s=16}} | label = Canary Dwarf, Cooking Vinyl | producer = Adrian Bushby | prev_title = Last of Our Kind | prev_year = 2015 | next_title = Live at Hammersmith | next_year = 2018 | misc = {{Singles | name = Pinewood Smile | type = studio | single1 = All The Pretty Girls | single1date = 21 July 2017 | single2 = Solid Gold | single2date = 18 August 2017 | single3 = Southern Trains | single3date = 25 September 2017 | single4 = Happiness | single4date = 24 November 2017 }} }}
'''''Pinewood Smile''''' is the fifth studio album released by British hard rock band The Darkness. Produced by Adrian Bushby, the album was released on 6 October 2017 and is the first album by the band to be released by Cooking Vinyl. It is also their full first album to feature Rufus Tiger Taylor on drums, after Emily Dolan Davies left the band in 2015.
==Background== Details of the album were first revealed in March 2017 on the band's Facebook page, and was estimated for released in late 2017. The album's title and more details were later revealed on 21 July 2017,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thedarknesslive.com/2017/07/its-time-to-smile-pinewood-smile-our-fifth-album/|title=It's time to smile !!! – "Pinewood Smile" our fifth album|date=21 July 2017|publisher=|access-date=25 September 2017|archive-date=8 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808002812/http://www.thedarknesslive.com/2017/07/its-time-to-smile-pinewood-smile-our-fifth-album|url-status=dead}}</ref> with the album's title being revealed as ''Pinewood Smile'' and being given a release date of 6 October through Cooking Vinyl. The album was recorded entirely in Worcestershire in Vada Recording Studios and was produced by award-winning producer and engineer Adrian Bushby, who has worked with other rock bands such as Muse, Foo Fighters and Smashing Pumpkins. That same day, the first single from the album, "All the Pretty Girls", was released. Three other singles from the album—"Solid Gold" and "Southern Trains"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.completemusicupdate.com/article/the-darkness-lay-into-southern-trains-on-new-single|title=Darkness lay into Southern Trains on New Single|date=26 September 2017|publisher=|access-date=10 May 2018|archive-date=22 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211022103900/https://completemusicupdate.com/article/the-darkness-lay-into-southern-trains-on-new-single/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://play.google.com/store/music/album/The_Darkness_Southern_Trains?id=B46nr6y5bnxcqyqtwimesce7kwy&hl=en_GB|title=Google Play Album The Darkness Southern Trains|date=25 September 2017|publisher=}}</ref> were also pre-released from the album on 18 August and 25 September respectively with "Happiness" following the album's release on 24 November.
A live version of "Buccaneers of Hispaniola" was a pre-release single in April 2018 for the album Live at Hammersmith<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.loudersound.com/news/the-darkness-announce-live-at-hammersmith-album|title=Darkness announce live at hammersmith|date=25 April 2018|publisher=}}</ref>
== Critical reception == ''Pinewood Smile'' received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 71 based on 7 reviews.<ref name="MC"/> Kerrang! ranked the album as the 23rd best album of 2017 in their year-end list.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/kerrang.html#2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060216032059/http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/kerrang.html#2004|url-status=usurped|archive-date=16 February 2006|title=Rocklist.net...Kerrang! Lists Page 1}}</ref> {{Music ratings | MC = 71/100<ref name="MC">{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/pinewood-smile/the-darkness|title=Pinewood Smile by The Darkness|work=Metacritic|accessdate=December 23, 2016}}</ref> | rev1 = AllMusic | rev1score = {{rating|3|5}}<ref name="AM">{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/pinewood-smile-mw0003089835|title=''Pinewood Smile'' – The Darkness|work=AllMusic|accessdate=December 23, 2016|last=Monger|first=James Christopher}}</ref> | rev2 = ''Classic Rock'' | rev2score = {{rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.loudersound.com/reviews/the-darkness-pinewood-smile-album-review|title=The Darkness - Pinewood Smile album review|website=Classic Rock|last=Dalton|first=Stephen|date=5 September 2017|access-date=14 April 2025}}</ref> | rev3 = ''Clash'' | rev3score = 6/10<ref name="CM">{{cite web|url=https://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/the-darkness-pinewood-smile|title=The Darkness – Pinewood Smile|work=Clash|date=October 16, 2017|accessdate=December 23, 2016|last=Gray|first=Josh}}</ref> | rev4 = ''Kerrang!'' | rev4score = {{rating|4|5}}<ref>In their own way The Darkness, enthusiastically blending banter and bombast in equal measure, are proving as much fun [as Queen]. [7 Oct 2017, p.51]</ref> | rev5 = ''Mojo'' | rev5score = {{rating|4|5}}<ref>The Darkness have regained much of the joy, silliness and virtuostic songcraft that made their 2003 debut Permission To Land such fun. [Nov 2017, p.96]</ref> | rev6 = ''Q'' | rev6score = {{rating|4|5}}<ref>Killer tunes. The hyperventilating Buccaneers Of Hispaniola is as cheesily brilliant as it sounds. [Nov 2017, p.107]</ref> | rev7 = ''Sputnikmusic'' | rev7score = 2/5<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/75043/The-Darkness-Pinewood-Smile/|title=The Darkness - Pinewood Smile|website=Sputnikmusic|last=K.|first=Simon|date=7 October 2017|access-date=14 April 2025}}</ref> | rev8 = ''Pitchfork'' | rev8score = 4.8/10<ref name="PF">{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/the-darkness-pinewood-smile|title=The Darkness: ''Pinewood Smile''|website=Pitchfork|date=October 12, 2017|accessdate=December 23, 2016|last=Cohen|first=Ian}}</ref> }}
==Track listing== {{Track listing | all_writing = Dan Hawkins, Justin Hawkins, Frankie Poullain and Rufus Tiger Taylor | title1 = All the Pretty Girls | length1 = 3:18 | title2 = Buccaneers of Hispaniola | length2 = 3:06 | title3 = Solid Gold | length3 = 4:32 | title4 = Southern Trains | length4 = 2:52 | title5 = Why Don't the Beautiful Cry? | length5 = 3:36 | title6 = Japanese Prisoner of Love | length6 = 4:19 | title7 = Lay Down with Me, Barbara | length7 = 4:05 | title8 = I Wish I Was in Heaven | length8 = 3:21 | title9 = Happiness | length9 = 3:13 | title10 = Stampede of Love | length10 = 3:54 | total_length = 36:16 }} {{Track listing | headline = Deluxe edition bonus tracks | title11 = Uniball | length11 = 3:33 | title12 = Rack of Glam | length12 = 3:44 | title13 = Seagulls (Losing My Virginity) | length13 = 3:54 | title14 = Rock in Space | length14 = 3:33 | total_length = 51:00 }} {{Track listing | headline = Japanese bonus track | title15 = Why Don´t the Beautiful Cry (demo version) | length15 = 4:18 }} * The vinyl version omits the track "Happiness" due to space limitations.
==Personnel==
=== The Darkness === *Justin Hawkins – vocals, lead guitar, piano *Dan Hawkins – guitars, backing vocals *Frankie Poullain – bass, backing vocals *Rufus Tiger Taylor – drums, backing vocals
=== Production === * Adrian Bushby – mixer, producer * George Perks – engineer * Mike Marsh – mastering
==Charts== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |- ! scope="col"| Chart (2017) ! scope="col"| Peak<br /> position |- {{album chart|Australia|17|artist=The Darkness|album=Pinewood Smile|rowheader=true|accessdate=14 October 2017}} |- {{album chart|Scotland|8|date=20171013|rowheader=true|accessdate=14 October 2017}} |- {{album chart|Switzerland|90|artist=The Darkness|album=Pinewood Smile|rowheader=true|accessdate=18 October 2017}} |- {{album chart|UK2|8|date=20171013|rowheader=true|accessdate=14 October 2017}} |- {{album chart|UKRock|1|date=20171013|rowheader=true|accessdate=7 August 2019}} |- {{album chart|Billboard200|190|artist=The Darkness|rowheader=true|accessdate=17 October 2017}} |- {{album chart|BillboardHardRock|10|artist=The Darkness|rowheader=true|accessdate=3 April 2019}} |- {{album chart|BillboardRock|37|artist=The Darkness|rowheader=true|accessdate=3 April 2019}} |}
===Singles=== ''Solid Gold'' peaked at number 5 on the Kerrang! Rock Chart in September 2017,<ref>Kerrang! Rock Chart, ''Kerrang!'', issue 1688, page 14.</ref> while ''Southern Trains'' reached number 14 on the same chart in October of that year.<ref>Kerrang! Rock Chart, ''Kerrang!'', issue 1693, page 14.</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{The Darkness}}
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Category:2017 albums Category:The Darkness (band) albums Category:Cooking Vinyl albums