The Kooks - Inside In/Inside Out

The Kooks only just scraped through the selection process. With the backing of a big record company and major music magazines (a connection I wonder?), the last thing they need is any promotion from me. They’re sound fits in perfectly with the other bands to explode out of the UK in recent years, that of Maximo Park, Futureheads, Kaiser Chiefs, etc. In fact The Kooks sound borrows from all of these bands in a way. Come to think of it, they sound like a ridiculous number of bands, at different points. But this doesn’t distract from the experience in any way, instead it results in great deal of variety. Each song has its own personality and is instantly recognisable. The problem with this is it makes it hard to pick stand out songs, hardly something to mark an album down for. If you don’t like these songs, you won’t like the album. Or, if like me, you get caught up in the distinctly British charm, there’s a great new album out their waiting for you.

Eddie’s Gun – The simple accuracy of it means I can happily call this album a roller coaster ride without feeling like an idiot. They can play at both extremes in terms of pace and noise and they’re not afraid to juxtapose. This song was quick to establish itself as the best candidate for a ‘fast’ song. It bursts on with excitement and confidence reminiscent of We Are Scientists.

She Moves In Her Own Way – Listening to this song, it really isn’t as slow as I’d imagined. Those maracas can be deceiving. Nor is soft in any meaning of the word. But either way, it does demonstrate that they’re singing ability is such that they don’t need guitars to drown the inadequacies. In what seems to be a trait of theirs, it’s also quite catchy.