The Kooks
Konk
Konk
The Kooks will release their follow up to the multi-platinum debut 'Inside In/Inside Out next month, which is almost certain to be as popular as the previous, and definately certain to get the Brighton based four piece their 1st No.1 album.
The Kooks exploded onto the music scene back in 2005 when they snapped up by Virgin Records. After being quiet for pretty much all of last year, frontman Luke Pritchard told NME that the band has written "80 or 90 songs", which has been edited down extensively over the past 6 months to come up with a finished final piece two disc album entitled 'Konk' and 'RAK'. Konk is the official album which is named after the London studio that it was recorded in, with RAK being a second shorter collection of 8 other new songs, and an extra alternative song for the Konk opener called 'See the Sun'.
I've listened to the album over once, and struggled to pick it apart, however, found the whole experience rather refreshing after the onslaught of indie-dance albums from DIOYY, The Whip, Neon Neon and Crystal Castles that I've been worshipping recently.
They do strike me as quite a niche within the indie scene. Although they are undoubtedly massive! The hype stands for good reason, If he could write a song like 'Naive' at the age of 16, think of what he can do in the future. This new record does hold some juicy gems including the chirpy singalong 'Always Where I Need To Be' and the funky anthem 'Do You Wanna'.
So onto the actual review of this 12-track blast.
The Kooks exploded onto the music scene back in 2005 when they snapped up by Virgin Records. After being quiet for pretty much all of last year, frontman Luke Pritchard told NME that the band has written "80 or 90 songs", which has been edited down extensively over the past 6 months to come up with a finished final piece two disc album entitled 'Konk' and 'RAK'. Konk is the official album which is named after the London studio that it was recorded in, with RAK being a second shorter collection of 8 other new songs, and an extra alternative song for the Konk opener called 'See the Sun'.
I've listened to the album over once, and struggled to pick it apart, however, found the whole experience rather refreshing after the onslaught of indie-dance albums from DIOYY, The Whip, Neon Neon and Crystal Castles that I've been worshipping recently.
They do strike me as quite a niche within the indie scene. Although they are undoubtedly massive! The hype stands for good reason, If he could write a song like 'Naive' at the age of 16, think of what he can do in the future. This new record does hold some juicy gems including the chirpy singalong 'Always Where I Need To Be' and the funky anthem 'Do You Wanna'.
So onto the actual review of this 12-track blast.
Review
#1 - See The Sun
From the outset of this song, and the first 30-40 seconds of the first track, its clear that the band have learnt a lot from their year on the sidelines and tours over Europe and America. I love this song already, its uplifting but not overbearing, and cheesy but not cringy. The opening lines "Oh you can have it all and wrap in the world/you can have everything/you can have love and lots of earthly things" lead into a masterful choice of lyrics that leads onto the chorus, with hey-ho, clapping, how quaint! A great opener.
#2: Always Where I Want To Be
This is a certain dancefloor filler, and has all the ingredients of a brilliant chart topper. "Du, du dedudu dede du" it's as contageous as Klamidia. Ok bad joke, but in book it's a good as true. Ok so now you think I have Klamidia, this review is going well...
Download this track now, it'll be the band's first single from the album, and it's out in the shops on Monday (31st April). It's been getting some good airplay, so it's certainly a top 10 contender, if not top 5.
#3: Mr. Maker
Not sure about this one, its definately The Kooks, but the only thing is, it sounds rather like The Hoosiers, and that's never a good thing. Can't really think of anything other to say about it either, I think I've said all I need to, moving on...
#4: Do You Wanna
This is more like it! firstly, I can't start a review of this track along without saying I EFFING' LOVE IT. The untold amount of times that young men will strut around the indie club dancefloors of Britain this year, eyeing up the finest talent just to be able to grab her arse and whisper into her ear "I Know You Wanna Make Love To Me!" And the guitar riff at 1:18 following that line is good enough for even the ugliest cunt to pull it off and follow it up with some hardcore grinding action!
That's all I have to say about that song, just listen to it, now! Forget Klamida, this time its full on Aids!
#5: Gap
I've already spent over an hour on this review now, and i'm not even half way through yet! Now that's what I call dedication! I wish I could say the same for this track though.
This album is starting to turn into a bit of an up and downer. It's great for cruises across the Atlantic, but not so much for a sunday picnic.
I fell with this track that I've heard it all before, the music is kool, but the lyrics just seem too bland for my liking.
#6: Love it All
0:06-0:09 reminds me of a song a song, but I can't put my finger on it. I'm gonna do a search then carry on writing. Got it! It sounds like the chorus of 'Travis - Closer'. Weird isn't it, that such a small extract from a song, can remind us of another. I think for that reason alone it makes this song good.
Looking past the lame reason I've given you though, it's definitely along the theme of 'refreshing' I gave you at the start of the review, and it's a great little tune to break the half way mark on. One thing that I've picked up on from this track, is Pritchard's range of voice, he can really hit those high notes well.
#7: Stormy Weather
Yeah, this is what I was hoping for. Something more a lot more grittier, yes its another song about love, but there can be a lot more ways to approach the subject, in lots of really 'interesting ways'. Argurably the best love song of last year was '505' by the Arctic Monkeys, but this is one of those that won't be listened to by everyone, but it's glam beats and bass make it one of the best on the record in my opinion.
#8: Sway
I'm really hoping for a decnet grand finale after this track, but until then i'm going to suffer with yet more songs about love. I'm not complaining about the quality of music at all, this is genuinly good stuff. I'd just prefer the band to have a moan at society maybe, create some banter with another band or piss off a lot of their 'lovydubby' fans with a golden nugget of masturbation. The Fratellis sing a majority of their songs about love, but they do so, in a much more fun way. Their second album will trump this like a Harrier Jump Jet trumps my grandads Volkswagon Polo down to the shops and back. for the morning paper.
#9: Shine
Yet again, I'm not really feeling this track either, it's just not something I'm going to end up putting on my iPod. It's one of those songs you'll always have on your iTunes, just because its quaint to group it with the entire album and the artwork, looking all organised and 'professional', but when you look at the play count, it's still stuck at zero.
#10: Down To The Market
At last, something that makes me want to tap my feet. I think the band have done a great job with this. The guitar solo's are electric on a tune made up of lyrics of yet more love. Although, Pritchard chucks out the old luvvydubby chords for this. I think this track would be great live, although it's a little on the short side, which was slightly disappointing.
#11: One Last Time
This song should actually be called 'One Last Love Song... I Swear Baby'. I've decided to give this one a decent listen though. Sounds corny, but eyes closed, 'closed mind' however you do 'close your mind'. I've never understood that convention, how can you only think about one thing at a time, the first second someone tells me to only think about one thing, I think about 5,000 things at once.
This is quite a short link between the 10th and 12th songs of the record, but it actually fits really well, as it leads onto something genuinely decent.
#12: Tick of Time
I love these sorts of jams, I can't play the guitar myself, but ever since going along to see The Enemy, The Wombats and Noah and the Whale, I've really been into tiny acoustic gigs. Putting the whole 'intimate gig' shite aside, its a place to just have a good sing-a-long. You could see the band sitting on the end of Brighton Pier playing out the song to a few hundred lucky souls, but the you could also see Pritchard alone, on a tropical island duetting with Otis Reading on the end of a jetty...
+Hidden Track: All Over Town
... It seems the band went all Klaxons with a nice 'pause' on the last track, and put a 'Hidden Track' at the end. I've never gotten the idea of all this 'BONUS TRACK' business, if they wern'y on all of these albums, you'd still be paying exactly the same for it anyway, so what's the whole point in forcing your own fans into a false reality mind set.
"Mum can you buy me this album, its got a BONUS TRACK ON IT. That must mean we get it for free! You know, like in ASDA when you get those 2for3 deals!" What a load of Bull**%>! How about make it the 13th track and be done with it.
Putting aside that rant, I quite like the ending. It's mellow but uplifting and really inkeeping with the refreshing feel.
From the outset of this song, and the first 30-40 seconds of the first track, its clear that the band have learnt a lot from their year on the sidelines and tours over Europe and America. I love this song already, its uplifting but not overbearing, and cheesy but not cringy. The opening lines "Oh you can have it all and wrap in the world/you can have everything/you can have love and lots of earthly things" lead into a masterful choice of lyrics that leads onto the chorus, with hey-ho, clapping, how quaint! A great opener.
#2: Always Where I Want To Be
This is a certain dancefloor filler, and has all the ingredients of a brilliant chart topper. "Du, du dedudu dede du" it's as contageous as Klamidia. Ok bad joke, but in book it's a good as true. Ok so now you think I have Klamidia, this review is going well...
Download this track now, it'll be the band's first single from the album, and it's out in the shops on Monday (31st April). It's been getting some good airplay, so it's certainly a top 10 contender, if not top 5.
#3: Mr. Maker
Not sure about this one, its definately The Kooks, but the only thing is, it sounds rather like The Hoosiers, and that's never a good thing. Can't really think of anything other to say about it either, I think I've said all I need to, moving on...
#4: Do You Wanna
This is more like it! firstly, I can't start a review of this track along without saying I EFFING' LOVE IT. The untold amount of times that young men will strut around the indie club dancefloors of Britain this year, eyeing up the finest talent just to be able to grab her arse and whisper into her ear "I Know You Wanna Make Love To Me!" And the guitar riff at 1:18 following that line is good enough for even the ugliest cunt to pull it off and follow it up with some hardcore grinding action!
That's all I have to say about that song, just listen to it, now! Forget Klamida, this time its full on Aids!
#5: Gap
I've already spent over an hour on this review now, and i'm not even half way through yet! Now that's what I call dedication! I wish I could say the same for this track though.
This album is starting to turn into a bit of an up and downer. It's great for cruises across the Atlantic, but not so much for a sunday picnic.
I fell with this track that I've heard it all before, the music is kool, but the lyrics just seem too bland for my liking.
#6: Love it All
0:06-0:09 reminds me of a song a song, but I can't put my finger on it. I'm gonna do a search then carry on writing. Got it! It sounds like the chorus of 'Travis - Closer'. Weird isn't it, that such a small extract from a song, can remind us of another. I think for that reason alone it makes this song good.
Looking past the lame reason I've given you though, it's definitely along the theme of 'refreshing' I gave you at the start of the review, and it's a great little tune to break the half way mark on. One thing that I've picked up on from this track, is Pritchard's range of voice, he can really hit those high notes well.
#7: Stormy Weather
Yeah, this is what I was hoping for. Something more a lot more grittier, yes its another song about love, but there can be a lot more ways to approach the subject, in lots of really 'interesting ways'. Argurably the best love song of last year was '505' by the Arctic Monkeys, but this is one of those that won't be listened to by everyone, but it's glam beats and bass make it one of the best on the record in my opinion.
#8: Sway
I'm really hoping for a decnet grand finale after this track, but until then i'm going to suffer with yet more songs about love. I'm not complaining about the quality of music at all, this is genuinly good stuff. I'd just prefer the band to have a moan at society maybe, create some banter with another band or piss off a lot of their 'lovydubby' fans with a golden nugget of masturbation. The Fratellis sing a majority of their songs about love, but they do so, in a much more fun way. Their second album will trump this like a Harrier Jump Jet trumps my grandads Volkswagon Polo down to the shops and back. for the morning paper.
#9: Shine
Yet again, I'm not really feeling this track either, it's just not something I'm going to end up putting on my iPod. It's one of those songs you'll always have on your iTunes, just because its quaint to group it with the entire album and the artwork, looking all organised and 'professional', but when you look at the play count, it's still stuck at zero.
#10: Down To The Market
At last, something that makes me want to tap my feet. I think the band have done a great job with this. The guitar solo's are electric on a tune made up of lyrics of yet more love. Although, Pritchard chucks out the old luvvydubby chords for this. I think this track would be great live, although it's a little on the short side, which was slightly disappointing.
#11: One Last Time
This song should actually be called 'One Last Love Song... I Swear Baby'. I've decided to give this one a decent listen though. Sounds corny, but eyes closed, 'closed mind' however you do 'close your mind'. I've never understood that convention, how can you only think about one thing at a time, the first second someone tells me to only think about one thing, I think about 5,000 things at once.
This is quite a short link between the 10th and 12th songs of the record, but it actually fits really well, as it leads onto something genuinely decent.
#12: Tick of Time
I love these sorts of jams, I can't play the guitar myself, but ever since going along to see The Enemy, The Wombats and Noah and the Whale, I've really been into tiny acoustic gigs. Putting the whole 'intimate gig' shite aside, its a place to just have a good sing-a-long. You could see the band sitting on the end of Brighton Pier playing out the song to a few hundred lucky souls, but the you could also see Pritchard alone, on a tropical island duetting with Otis Reading on the end of a jetty...
+Hidden Track: All Over Town
... It seems the band went all Klaxons with a nice 'pause' on the last track, and put a 'Hidden Track' at the end. I've never gotten the idea of all this 'BONUS TRACK' business, if they wern'y on all of these albums, you'd still be paying exactly the same for it anyway, so what's the whole point in forcing your own fans into a false reality mind set.
"Mum can you buy me this album, its got a BONUS TRACK ON IT. That must mean we get it for free! You know, like in ASDA when you get those 2for3 deals!" What a load of Bull**%>! How about make it the 13th track and be done with it.
Putting aside that rant, I quite like the ending. It's mellow but uplifting and really inkeeping with the refreshing feel.
Verdict
Although, I've moaned about some of the songs on the Album, none of them were crap. I just like to see more of a variety that's all. For all the good that my last year's favourite album by The Enemy was, it was still full of two or three songs that sounded very alike. However that's their debut so you can let them off. Radiohead only found their real voice on the third attempt, so many The Kooks will make a better album next time.
There's definitely some great songs there though, really am genuinely impressed, because their last effort was kind of a disappointment for me, I do hope it gets to No.1, because I think they deserve it.
Don't think of this album as 'just another indie album' think of it as, a work in progress. You know on 'Lost' and back in the old days when TV programs had 'To Be Continued' at the end of them. The Kooks haven't launched themselves to superstardom with this record, but they haven't faded out like Razorlight did. Just 'watch this space' over the next five years or so is all I will say.
There's definitely some great songs there though, really am genuinely impressed, because their last effort was kind of a disappointment for me, I do hope it gets to No.1, because I think they deserve it.
Don't think of this album as 'just another indie album' think of it as, a work in progress. You know on 'Lost' and back in the old days when TV programs had 'To Be Continued' at the end of them. The Kooks haven't launched themselves to superstardom with this record, but they haven't faded out like Razorlight did. Just 'watch this space' over the next five years or so is all I will say.
6/10
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