The Kooks - Konk

Genre indie-rock Publisher Virgin Records External Links The Kooks Website

From personal experience, the scholarly whims of college life usually find ways to pull bands apart. However, Britain's The Kooks actually formed because of a college assignment; the band's members were all students at the Brighton Institute of Modern Music. In 2006 they recorded their debut album with virgin records called Inside In/Inside Out and followed it up with a successful U.S. tour. In 2008, they followed up with their second EP Konk. A fine record, The Kooks are one of my favorite British acts right behind The Coral.

The album's first cut is called 'See The Sun' and is refreshing for its consonant sound, pace, and vocals with a clear British accent. 'Always Where I need To Be' is dubbed one of the album's singles and for good reason. It's a catchy song that establishes vocalist Luke Pritchard as a capable of finding all the right melodies. It also features a short yet sweet guitar solo by Hugh Harris. 'Mr. Maker' is a solid track with early Beatles influence. It tells a fun story about a man who always finds his way in life. The sound swings from ear to with wonderful guitar tones. 'Do You Wanna' is a song that is hard to ignore. It's part rock and part roll and has a playfully sexy appeal: " Would you like it if I put you into my world?". This song is probably my vote for radio single. My vote for Konk's best song however would probably go to 'Love It All'. It's short but a fantastic work from start to finish. Pritchard's delivery is unique and the song has an immutable appeal. The chorus is easily memorable after one or two listens: a testament to the bands' ability to create a truly catchy hook.

'Stormy Weather' is also a great song. The Kooks do a great job of creating a vibe that is unique to rock. There is little to know distortion in this song but just enough gain to keep it gritty. Musically, the song is richly layered with all sorts of sounds(especially from the guitars) and from a metaphorical perspective, is a lot like scrambled eggs. 'Sway' highlights Pritchard's vocals again as he goes from passive to passionate without throwing your ears off track. 'One Last Time' is undeniably clever for it's simplicity. It casts Pritchard as the songs' protagonist as he spills his guts without over doing it. The dynamic in this song comes with the interesting arpeggiation during the chorus, listen for it. 'Tick Of Time' and 'All Over Town'(which is a bonus track) are songs that are done with undertones of raw spontaneity; featuring mostly acoustic guitars, multiple vocal harmonies, and honest lyrics.

Konk is a solid record that will not easily fail most expectations. It's Brit rock done the independent way, unique, raw, and full of pop appeal. The album's biggest weakness is its somewhat primitive lyrics, but the band makes up for this by not making any clear over zealous efforts too be poetic. Although I can not say that the Kooks are destined for bigger things, I can say that Konk should be getting good reviews from all those who are fortunate enough to hear it.