Two decades after Permission to Land crashed into the rock scene in a blaze of falsetto and spandex, The Darkness continues to chase the same lightning.

The multi-platinum British quartet’s latest release, Dreams on Toast—an LP that manages to be playful and profound—finds frontman and guitarist Justin Hawkins, guitarist Dan Hawkins, bassist Frankie Poullain, and drummer Rufus Taylor leaning into their eccentric instincts.

There’s the feral glam-punk bite of “I Hate Myself,” the arena-ready strut of “Rock and Roll Party Cowboy,” the sun-soaked ‘70s shimmer of “The Longest Kiss,” and the dreamy, slow-burning tenderness of “Hot On My Tail.”

The group even ventures into country with “Cold Hearted Woman,” a twangy detour that’s as unexpected as it is delightful.

In advance of the much-anti

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