As The Kooks Inside In/Inside Out turns 20, we take another look at their debut release.
What’s clear is Inside In/Inside Out is a great album, but one I believe The Kooks sadly failed to reach the dizzying heights of ever again. Don’t get me wrong, they’ve had good individual songs since, but nothing quite gelled as a record like this first one.
I’ve never known the reason they decided to release it the same day as Arctic Monkey’s Whatever People Say I Am and whether that was a deliberate challenge, a poorly timed misstep or something that was too far down the line to change when they realised, but it was definitely a mistake. Under the shadow of this iconic album, Inside In/Inside Out almost became somewhat demoted to the rubbish tip of indie landfill and the lack of evolution of the band to bigger and better things didn’t really help this trajectory.
However, on listening back it’s clearly not just one or two bangers – namely: Naive and She Moves in her Own Way – amongst a bunch of filler tracks. It has actually stood the test of time well. It’s a cohesive and distinctive mid 00’s indie sound and The Kooks clearly knew how to capture the particular type of song that worms its way into your ears.
Ooh La is without a doubt one of the finest pop-indie songs of its time. It’s also the most wonderful use of the word Petticoat in a song (sorry Matty). It’s clever, catchy and simple enough that you can sing along.
Album opener Seaside has also long been one of my favourite tracks on the release. It’s a lovely little jangly tune about young love. It’s just yearning enough without being emo. It sets the stage for what’s to come but doesn’t dominate the entire rest of the album in the way opening the album with something like She Moves in her Own Way would have.
Tracks such as Eddie’s Gun and Matchbox are also easily overlooked. Eddie’s Gun uses fast drums and bigger guitars to disguise what is one of the most vulnerable tracks on Inside In/Inside Out, while Matchbox has this funky rhythm and uses volume and the overall soundscape of the track in a way that was far ahead of its time.
Overall, the album has a great energy. You can almost see the skinny jeans and Converse as you listen. It’s not marvellous cerebral lyric writing, but it’s excellent indie pop/rock that really did capture a moment possibly more perfectly than anything else of its time.
There’s a couple of tracks in there that haven’t aged well, and See The World was never a great fit with the rest of the release, but in all honesty I think this album shaped the sound of those late 00’s indie bands far more than anyone would like to admit!