The Kooks - Inside In Inside Out

Genre rock Publisher Astralwerks External Links Official The Kooks Website Official Astralwerks Website

Even when an album is a big mess, youthful enthusiasm goes a long way. If the music gets sloppy, the right amount of charisma can rescue it; when you hear a young new band brashly declare, "To hell with the rules!" and play the music with just the right combination of ignorance and arrogance, the results can often be electrifying, especially when it comes to British rock 'n roll of the last 40 years. We heard it in the 90s from the likes of Oasis and Supergrass. Last year, those wise-arses Art Brut charmed their way into our good graces. And one cannot overlook (how can we?) the ubiquitous Arctic Monkeys, who were a phenomenon in 2006. Whether it's Definitely Maybe, Bang Bang Rock & Roll, or Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, it's all about a young band setting out and recording the album they'd been waiting all their lives to make.

The problem lies in following up a memorable, popular debut; as Noel Gallagher once put it, after recording an album about the first 24 years of your life, the next album has to be about the last year of your life, and when you're forced to look inside for ideas, it can be disastrous if you're not careful. Because constantly lurking around the corner is yet another new young band ready to steal the spotlight with new ebullient music while you fret about trying to sound "mature".

Brighton's The Kooks are such a band, and fueled by an exuberant debut album loaded with pop hooks that channel myriad styles at once, they've gone on to have quite a year in their home country, selling heaps of CDs, and yielding no fewer than six top 40 singles, including two top ten placings. To say Inside In Inside Out is loaded is an understatement; in fact, there are at least three other single-worthy tracks in addition to the already-released six. Recorded at a studio owned by Kinks great Ray Davies, the Kooks display a similar knack for concise, memorable pop tunes that waste no time, their only purpose to transport us with sumptuous melodies and the quartet's palpable energy.

At 15 tracks over 44 minutes (we get a bonus track on this side of the Atlantic), the pace of the album is relentless, and much like the Futureheads' 2004 album, it takes some time to settle in, but if there's one thing these youngsters are not guilty of, it's sounding repetitive. After the lilting acoustic quickie "Seaside" (shades of The Thrills), the tetchy "See the World" kicks in with a screeching, choppy guitar riff, its post punk sound lightened by a whimsical undercurrent. "Sofa Song" follows, a sprightly acoustic-driven jaunt that hints at both skiffle and ska, while the shamelessly breezy "Ooh La" has a fresh-faced, almost McCartney-esque air to it. "You Don't Love Me" sounds like a sober Libertines, the catchy "She Moves in Her Own Way" evokes Dexy's Midnight Runners, and for a song with such a stupid title, the lovely "Jackie Big Tits" is impeccable 60s pop rock, effectively transforming a potential demeaning nickname into a believable term of endearment.

For all its good moments, nothing on the album comes close to "Eddie's Gun". The best song about impotence since Eddie Argos waxed poetic about the rusted guns of Milan a year ago, it hearkens back to Stiff records in its late-70s heyday, singer/guitarist Luke Pritchard making like Nick Lowe, snarkily singing about failing to love a girl back, and confessing, "I hope I'm not the only one." At two minutes and 13 seconds, it's a perfect little single, playful, funny, and extremely contagious.

The Kooks do get a little too ambitious near the end of the album, as the extended, meandering reggae jam of "Time Awaits" goes against all the band's strengths (guys, just keep things concise!), and "Got No Love" has the album limping exhaustedly across the finish line, but when you have a dozen winners on a 15 track disc, it's hard to complain. We can only hope that when it comes time to record the follow-up, the exceedingly talented Kooks will steadfastly refuse to grow up.