Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes - ‘Dark Rainbow’ review
Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes by Brian Rankin
Coming into 2024, and as a Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes fan, Dark Rainbow presented as a very interesting release in the calendar. The lead-up to this album has been very measured, mature, and if anything, scary. Dark Rainbow is out 26 January via International Death Clut. Here’s what we thought:
'Honey' starts off with a discordant few notes from Dean Richardson that build most of the song's structure. The Rattlesnakes music has this amazing, funky, “we’re all mad here” vibe. That's something that will come and go throughout the album. Vocally, ‘Honey’ feels quite mature. This is to be expected given Frank has discussed the conversation of “what the authentic version of me is”. By staying true to that conversation, ‘Honey’ isn’t trying to do too much, and for that reason, it’s a very good time. ‘Man of the Hour’ recently debuted as “a whole new era for The Rattlesnakes”. It's a continuation of the cool, mellow, but gracious lyrical style of Dark Rainbow. Fans were tipped that this album would be a “soul-searching expedition”. ‘Man of the Hour’ is a vital part of that process since dropping in September. Although only the 2nd track of the record, it sounds very final.
'Can I Take You Home' had some lofty expectations. Almost lounge-like music was not what we were expecting. Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes may be responsible for a few newborns come September. Carter himself has expressed on social media this may be his favourite on the record. Based on the title, and lyrics "put your feet in my mouth while we work this s**t out, in our bedsheets", we can only wonder why. Carter also described 'American Spirit' on his Instagram live as a "big f****ing bop". Again, a very sensual track but in a different way, there's a lot more attitude dripping off this one. The point that kept returning to mind during this album is Frank's discussion of "Rockstar". To be frank (Pun intended), 'American Spirit' wouldn't be out of place in a "Rock of Ages" style flick. 'Happier Days' plays off that, feeling a lot more like the Rattlesnakes tracks we know. It reminds us a lot of 'Kitty Sucker' from the previous album. Punchy, pulsing and full of patter from Carter. The vocals are a lot more crooner-riffic but it’s a style that sold out tours for the Rattlesnakes. There's very little wrong with it.
The pacing of Dark Rainbow follows an almost cinematic beat. Now, 'Brambles' and 'Queen of Hearts' are a bit of a turning point. 'Brambles' dropped in November, and when played as the midpoint of the album, feels quite conflicted. There's a lot of questioning lyrics, abstract wording and quite a sudden ending. Pair that with the very sombre, almost defeated 'Queen of Hearts', the whole thing feels like a dark moment in a movie. "We fall further apart, just like a deck of cards" is very simple and powerful. Frank never actually mentions in the lyrics if he's the King or the Joker. 'Sun Bright Golden Happening' closes a trio of songs on Dark Rainbow that champion the group’s songwriting. It's delicate but powerful. This is a soft track by Rattlesnake standards, piano-focused, softly spoken more than sung. Carter has done some bearing of his soul with this record.
Considering Frank’s discussion that "maybe the idea of the rock star should die". Heavy bass that follows Frank's vocals on 'Superstar' makes something feel a little "off". In promos for the album, Frank said that "when I put that suit on, it didn’t go very well for me", how perhaps playing to the industry "got further and further away from who I actually am". 'Just let me be a Superstar" feels like it’s picuring that person, or what they have to give up to get there. 'Self Love' is one of the songs that this album needs as an upswing. The Dark Rainbow substance with that unstoppable aura of the Sticky album. The band show us that they can still do it, but they don't need to.
The title track, 'Dark Rainbow' is a proper "fade to black" on what is a pretty huge undertaking from the band. Almost twice the length as the opener 'Honey', this feels like a pretty sincere attempt at an epic in their genre. Talking about Dark Rainbow (The Album), Dean Richardson said “Normally we don’t look backwards when making a record, but this has been looking to reach us for a long time". The way 'Dark Rainbow' (The song) ends honestly feels like a year’s worth of reflection and like it's a life lived.
This isn't any more of a punk or rock record than it is a love letter, a diary or an autobiography. None of the music from the group feels like "Just music". Frank Carter of 2023 is so aware of his own presence, describing the album as "properly saving his life". Rattlesnakes have appeal overseas but are a sold-out crowd commodity in Britain. Dark Rainbow feels like an album with a worldwide boom waiting for it. As a bit of trivia, at the time of writing Frank has been in the music scene for close to two decades, 9 with Dean Richardson and The Rattlesnakes. We as fans may have found his cruising speed. At 39 years old, realistically the frontman is by some standards only now entering his prime years. By searching for himself on this album he feels cooler than ever, because he’s just himself. Opening track ‘Honey’ rang out for one line with the lyric “I ain’t here to be conquered, [...] I ain’t here to be defeated”. But in this record, like it or not, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes are doing the conquering.
Dark Rainbow from Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes is out 26 January via International Death Clut and is available on all good streaming platforms.
