Yahoo! Music Album Review

Released on 14/04/08
Label: Virgin

What's wrong with the guitar youth of today? The Kooks recently revealed that the band very nearly split when bassist Max Rafferty fell ill last year. Fell ill? Is this the 'last gang in town' spirit that saw The Clash through troubled times? And what about Def Leppard drummer Rik Allen, who lost one of his arms but still carried on playing! You're not at school now boys - though maybe therein lies the problem.

This is the new age of rock, the one that goes to college. Whether it's fully-formed Brit School chart-toppers clogging up the charts with their graduation projects, or, as with The Kooks, music college indie kids 'slumming it' in Brighton where major labels lurk looking for something a tad more credible and scuzzy for the NME dollar. So, initial suspicions aside, how much time has Luke Pritchard put in paying his dues sticking to the floor at his seaside town's indie sweatboxes?

More to the point, what sort of progress has been made since they broke through in 2006 with debut "Inside In/Inside Out"? Well, "Konk" is an assured set of garage pop songs that more than holds its own among the current, bumper crop of British guitar bands. But that's the problem. At times here, The Kooks are far too easily confused with their peers - the Fratellis' riff on "Stormy Weather" and Arctic Monkeys' intro to "Down To The Market" - the band struggle to stamp their own identity on proceedings.

Elsewhere it's evident they're more than capable of writing a decent pop tune. Choruses are huge and memorable on "Mr Maker", and its hint of "Wake Up Boo", and "Shine On", which will surely have the crowd jumping at a festival near you soon. Lyrically and emotionally, however, we're still stuck at 6th form college. The annoying "Do do dos..." of "Always Where I Need To Be" and the awkward language of "Shine On" - "About your hair you need not care" - betrays a lack of care and stamina in the writing.

"Sway" is a rare moment of darker emotion, Pritchard delivering a heartfelt hymn to his significant other over soaring, almost menacing, backing. As good is hidden track, "All Over This Town", a great, acoustic sketch of a song that frankly deserves better. Ultimately, "Konk" feels like an album that doesn't try hard enough. Perhaps The Kooks are idling in the comfort zone of adoration, US tours, talking dubious Rolling Stones influences with Jools Holland and thinking they've made it. The challenge now is to write another set of great songs, but dress them in smarter, more convincing clothes.

    by Andy Strickland