The Kooks release their latest studio album, Never/know this week.
Opening track Never/ Know starts strong with a little whistle track and funky keys, but it quickly becomes cluttered with other instruments and effects which I think takes away some of the magic from it.
This pretty much sums up most of the album. There are some good elements in there but nothing that really stands out. It’s a likeable album but I’m not sure I’d pick it up and listen to it over their earlier work. Side note: The Kooks are an endless source of frustration for me as a band for this very reason. They’ve made some of the finest indie anthems ever yet seem to struggle to recreate anything close to this consistently.
Never/Know has a funky 70s undertone weaving through most of the album, but it’s also quite a regretful, melancholy record at times. You can’t knock the thematic trend of the album, with its high pitched vocal interludes and melodic keys interlaced through most songs. There was a clear vision here, but I wish they’d either leaned harder into this new sound or not bothered as I think it’s that ‘sort of trying this’ idea which makes the album struggle to stand out.
They’re going to have to work hard at delivering this live too. I saw a couple of tracks performed earlier this year and they didn’t convey the acoustic flavour of the album clearly at all. It could add a lovely diversity to their repertoire, and they’ve managed this well with past releases so I’m hoping this develops as they progress through their tour.
Returning to the album tracks, I enjoyed China Town. The vocals have a lovely cadence and I think of all the songs of the album this one has the most potential to have some longevity (both in my streaming history and more widely). All Over the World is another really nice track, brimming with simiplicity. It allows the lovely little guitar riffs to stand out and I think it’s a good reminder that you don’t need to overstuff songs with layers of sound to make them stand out.
According to the band, this album marks a return to their debut in terms of energy and atmosphere. And perhaps this is the issue, when you’re 40, a return to the disillusionment of youth is never going to be a good fit. Your energy has changed, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. God, some days I miss being 23, but others I’m grateful to never have to be that age again. Hopefully The Kook’s will revisit the next album through a lens of their experience rather than harking back to a life than no longer exists.