Home > St. Louis Music > CD Review > The Kooks, 'Konk'

Backstory: “Konk” is the second album from the British band the Kooks, following up on the high-energy rock of 2006's “Inside In/Inside Out.”

Why you should care: Though hyped bands from overseas come and go, the Kooks have managed to build their fan base in the old-fashioned way—with relentless touring and the kind of hooks that stick around for days.

Verdict: Thankfully, “Konk” abandons the dance-rock conventions of the band's first record and instead veers into classically British wanker territory, leaving singer-songwriter Luke Prichard to gain full control over his Jagger-esque, larger-than-life stage persona. It only helps the songs: whether he's singing, “Do you wanna/Do you wanna make love to me” (“Do You Wanna”) or trying to fit way too many syllables into a chorus (“Love It All”), Luke's likeable yelp is absolutely believable, and only helped by the overly Brit feel of his band's music. More melodic than the Libertines and less winsome than Oasis, the Kooks sound both dangerous and safe at the same time, a perfect combination ripe for commercial breakthrough.

X-Factor: “Konk” is named after the studio it was recorded in, a legendary London recording venue run by ex-Kinks drummer Mick Avory. The band has also released a record-store-only bonus disk called “Rak”—named, also, after the studio in which it was made.

Add a comment