Kooks: Konk
Luke Pritchard's always where he needs to be
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Friday, 11, Apr 2008 11:30
Virgin, out April 14th.
In a nutshell...
Upbeat, kooky indie from... the Kooks
Who's it by?
The Brighton-based band follow up their debut success Inside In/Inside Out with Konk, an album of vibrant indie tracks that defines their sound more forcefully than its predecessor. Having lost their bassist, original band member Max Rafferty, earlier in the year, Dan Logan from Cat the Dog has stepped in and joined the band for this album.
Having supported the Rolling Stones and played at Glastonbury last year. 2008 looks set to be another big year for the band that brought us hits like Naive and She Moves in Her Own Way.
As an example...
"We were lovers in every way/Left school together, went back to my place/Now I can hardly remember her face/Before I met her I was... sad." - One Last Time
Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys
With British music sounding this good, there are singles on here that would definitely be contenders
What the others say
"They have lost their bass player, but with their second album the Kooks have found their feet." - Betty Clarke, The Guardian
"Writing catchy tunes that sound like the work of nice young men is no more rock 'n'roll than attending rock 'n'roll school itself. But if modesty is a trait you look for in music as much as you look for it in people, you'll get a good few turntable miles out of Konk." - Pete Paphides, Times Online
So is it any good?
With the barrage of new indie bands that seem to be doing the circuit at present, it takes a band with individual flair to ensure longevity. Luke Pritchard's distinctive vocals and the Kooks' upbeat jangly tunes and harmonic melodies, make this band stand out from the crowd
The Kooks have proven with this album that there's more to them than one anthemic single. Konk is a collection of more upbeat melodies with catchy tunes you'll be whistling on the way home. Visions of summer festivals and sunshine instantly pour from this album with tracks such as Always Where I Need to Be already proving to be hits.
Though there sound is distinctive compared to their musical peers, their songs are not always as distinctive enough from each other, and so by the end of 12 tracks it can be difficult to distinguish one from the next. They'll still get you dancing around the living room though.
One for the summer.
8/10
Nova Maxwell