My Amazon Reviews: The Kooks "Listen"

Kook Funk
3 Out Of 5 Stars

The Kooks have become an entirely different band since their debut. What began as a band that used The Kinks and The Arctic Monkeys as a jumping off point has reinvented itself as, of all things, funky. Soulful background vocals, disco-fied guitars, use of electronic drums and other trappings cover a lot of ground on "Listen." It's a much better album that the lackadaisical "Junk Of The Heart," but I never expected them to want to be Chic. Or Daft Punk.

The biggest culprit here is "Down," which breaks into a "down down, diggity down down diggy diggy down" (Kid Rock, anyone?) hook. Along with an insistent bass, it's a song that wouldn't be out of place to get a polished up club remix. The big soul vocal backups from "Around Down" bust the album wide open from the very beginning, Granted, this is a far more exciting album than "Junk" was, but not the direction I ever thought I'd hear The Kooks aiming for.

There are a couple classicist pop tunes here, like "Bad Habit" or the squiggly synth in "Dreams," lead singer Luke Pritchard has an engaging voice, and guitarist Hugh Harris and bassist Max Rafferty get a real chance to strut their stuff. Along with a touch of irony; in my I-tunes library, "Listen" buttresses Kool And The Gang" without the feeling changing up very much. So if you came here looking for the inspiring "Konk" or the perkiness of their debut, you won't find it on "Listen." But if you want a serving of dance-rock, you'll get what you came for.

     

My Amazon Reviews: The Kooks "Junk Of The Heart"

Kooks with no Hooks
3 Out Of 5 Stars

The third Kooks album is showing the signs of slippage. The debut flew in with the flock that included buzz bands like Arctic Monkeys, Kaiser Chiefs and others with a smart and punchy rock album in the classic sense of The Kinks or even Oasis. The second album, "Konk," played up The Kinks connection even more, with punchier songs and snappy lyrics. I was really hoping for continued progression with "Junk of The Heart," however, the songs are retracting their claws.

"Junk Of The Heart" is a softer, sweeter Kooks. The songs are breezier and weirdly inoffensive, given song titles like "Eff The World Off" or "No More Mr Nice Guy." Now, both the title track/lead single and the clever "Eskimo Kiss" maintain that Kinksian air about them, while the strings that saturate "Time Above The Earth" are a first for the band, just before leading into the Police-influenced "Runaway." The rest of the songs often feel unfinished or weightless. Lead singer Luke Prichard still has appeal, and I am hoping "Junk of The Heart" is just a blip.

   

My Amazon Reviews: The Kooks "Inside In/Inside Out"

Inside Job  
3 Out Of 5 Stars

The Kooks are one of the many bands to rise from the wake of the Arctic Monkeys' success, with "Inside in/Inside Out" roughly the same time "Whatever People Say I Am" did. Also like many Brit Bands to debut in this period, the sound of The Strokes informs The Kooks' garage-guitars, along with a kind of all-us-guys band rush that makes this album well worth a listen. There's plenty of three minute power-shots scattered around "Inside In/Inside Out" to kick up the adrenaline.

What helps The Kooks stand out is that bandleader Luke Pritchard (vocals/guitar) can write songs that add dimension to the album. "Eddie's Gun" may come across as a punky-pressure cooker, but it is followed up by "Ooh La," an acoustic mid-tempo number based on an acoustic riff. There's a goodly amount of lead guitar that rises above the garage level, courtesy of Hugh Harris. Plus a confidence in their playing the belies their youth, but what really made me sit up and take notice was just melodic many of the songs here are. I thought of Razorlight's self titled second album often as "Inside In" was playing the more tuneful songs, like "She Moves in Her Own Way" or "Naive."

Like most of the bands mentioned in this review, The Kooks have one other link. They are quintessentially British sounding (you can throw comparisons to The Kinks and Oasis in here if you prefer). They're a bit rough at the edges still (the title "Jackie Big Tits" should have been dropped) a problem that the next album, "Konk," remedies in a big way, yet too melodic to share the same pedestal as the Monkeys. If that kind of brash Britishness appeals you, then you're going to enjoy The Kooks' debut.