If a lead singer shrouds himself in sequined zebra-striped unitards on stage, can we really expect the band's music to display any less candor and intensity? If musicianship in any way corresponds to fashion sense, then America can breathe a collective sigh of relief that the Darkness' sophomore effort won't disappoint.

Emerging valiantly from the United Kingdom's overcrowded and redundant music scene, The Darkness has fast established itself as one of the most prominent and unique rock bands of the last decade. After enjoying the fruits of its first commercial success — 2003's Permission to Land — the Darkness has since penned One Way Ticket to Hell… and Back. A bit less harsh and a bit more centered, the band has narrowed its focus this time around. Each song on One Way Ticket swells with its own melodic fever pitch — some songs including entire orchestral arrangements — yet without forfeiting the power and edginess that made us all believe in a thing called love.

For the majority of musicians, album number two is often hit or miss, and its success usually makes or breaks the remainder of their career. Any deviation from the first album, however, sends naïve listeners heading for the hills shouting war cries of "I like their old stuff better," or the timeless "they sold out" — an unfortunate truth that has found followers of Incubus and Radiohead far off the bandwagon. Music fans tend to realize a band's initial expression and refuse to accept anything else. To avoid such a fate, the Darkness, instead of pandering to fans or completely changing their direction, have found a happy medium — creating music reminiscent of their biggest '70s and '80s inspirations.

The song "Knockers," with its rigid guitar riffs and high-pitched squealing of vocalist Justin Hawkins, has some undeniable AC/DC undertones. And one might mistake the rich melodies and dead-on harmonies of songs like "English Country Garden" and "Blind Man" for rock quartet Queen — most notably of "Bohemian Rhapsody" fame. In fact, during the refrain at the end of track three, "Is it just me?", the untrained ear can barely distinguish between The Darkness and its '80s predecessors. So as not to completely deviate from the sound that first put the band on the map, its single "One Way Ticket" is everything we've come to expect from a band that so thoroughly rocked America back in 2003.

Though a bit different from their initial appearance on the American music scene — and thankfully a bit less commercial — One Way Ticket is a fine segue to what we can only hope is many future releases. What's next for the band you might ask? That's a theory that leaves much to the imagination, unlike the tightness of their pants. Forceful, melodic and fashionable — the Darkness has undeniably booked a one way ticket to musical timelessness, with no return in sight.

Grade: A