Konk

the-kooks-konk

Always on the lookout for infectious Brit pop (the radio friendly-yet-ignored-by-Australian-commercial-radio kind), The Kooks piqued my interest with tracks like ‘Naïve’ and ‘She Moves In Her Own Way’, gleaned from compilations and occasional Video Hits inclusions (am I the only person who is surprised by the intermittent gems that sneak into such a mainstream and largely uninspiring play list??).

And it was thus I was motivated to explore the first Kooks album I could get my hands on, 2006’s Inside In Inside Out. Alas, my disappointment was palpable, when; beyond the singles was a wasteland of bland filler, in the style of the equally premature thrill of The Wombats’ ‘guide to love, loss and desperation’. But recently my faith was restored after by chance I borrowed a copy of the 2008 release, Konk, a far more satisfying escapade.

the-kooks

Now, we are by no means raising the pop bar, or pushing the musical envelope, as it were, but that’s kinda what I like about it, a steady mix of indie pop that rewards the listener for committing to an albums worth of material. And, be honest, if everyone went to the lengths of Radiohead in evolving musical prowess, while fine and noteworthy, we might just go a little bit mental with all that experimentation!

The singles tick all the boxes, ‘Always Where I Need To Be’, the unashamed directness of ‘Do You Wanna’, the adoration and sing along chorus of ‘Shine On’ (“safety pins holding up the pins that make you mine”) and the slightly melancholy pining of ‘Sway’.

The Kooks are pointedly leaning towards Hit Machine compilations rather then Mercury music prize material, more commercial then Athlete, yet more industry credible then Scouting For Girls, but comfortably slotted somewhere in-between. If you like your Britpop, chances are you’ll appreciate this one.

The Kooks Official Site
The Kooks MySpace
The Kooks last.fm
The Kooks Wikipedia