The Kooks
A review of their album 'Inside In Inside Out'
Review
Snapshot:
The Kooks produce a debut album packed with pop classics, but is not without its
flaws. Its fun and charm is reminiscent of early Supergrass.
The Cluas Verdict: 8 out of 10.
Full Review:
The Kooks arrive at a time when indie bands have become truly mainstream and
fashionable. However something sets these boys aside from the majority of their
contemporaries - they write cracking pop tunes. They do so in a way that
Supergrass used. They make you smile and be happy
to be young and healthy. It's a record that you imagine yourself sitting on the
green grass in summer whistling along to with your friends. Sadly, it's freezing
lately so no chance of that. The lead singer, Luke Pritchard, may have famously
dated Princess of bland Katie Melua but lucky for us, she has had little
influence on his musical leanings.
The album starts off with a lo-fi acoustic number. Odd choice to start the album
with. It fails slightly in catching the listener's attention, but still, it is a
good wee number. It's on See The World that this Brighton quartet show their
real strength. It's a prime example of rock/pop. Ray Davies would be proud of
this. They follow this up with 7 other potential singles. It's when they use the
acoustic guitar that the songs seem to be lifted up a gear and really brought
alive. In the age of the gloomy singer-songwriter it is encouraging that the
acoustic guitar can still be used so expertly for pop. By the ninth track they seem to
have perfected the pop song. "Na?e", if released, should break them into the
mainstream, if not, well, shame on everybody.
Sadly the album takes a turn for the worse and becomes a chore on the last two
tracks which succumb to self-indulgence. This is perhaps showing their
inexperience when it comes to quality control but they have plenty of time to learn
(the
guitarist recently celebrated his seventeenth birthday). Even so, a
producer should have over-ruled them because they somewhat tarnish what is
otherwise a solid record. Kooks have promised to change direction (saying that
they don't understand the concept of finding a sound and sticking to it) but
after examination of these closing tracks I have my reservations as to whether
changing direction would be a wise decision for this band. However by all means
prove me wrong boys.
This is an album that has
summer written all over it and, honestly, I fail to see the commercial sense of
releasing it at the tail end of winter but at least it has brought a ray of
sunshine into these dreary days. They said that
they wanted to create quick pop classics. Well lads, congratulations, you've
done it, now get yourselves ready for the festival season because something
tells me that you will become the soundtrack to our summer.
