So stoked to be reviewing The Kooks second album ‘Konk’ I couldn’t wait to give it a listen and just leave it on repeat. Yes, the second album is always loaded with expectations and I confess I added to the expectations, I had my fingers crossed that it would be as good or better than the ‘Inside In / Inside Out’ unfortunately I was disappointed. Don’t get me wrong I am enjoying the album but it just doesn’t measure up to their debut.
My computer literacy failed me again when I loaded the songs; my Itunes decided that the only song worth listening to was ‘love it all’. I spent a bit of time (probably more than necessary) and eventually figured out how to fix it so that I could actually listen to the whole album, and I must say I disagree with Itunes ‘love it all’ is a great song with easily accessible lyrics and a catchy tune but I think there are better songs on ‘Konk’. ‘Always Where I Need to be’ is hard to beat and a fitting choice for the first single release, with solid chunky riffs to get you dancing and crooning along to the chorus of do doo doododododo dododoo. Of course the lyrics go deeper than that into cries of ‘I always thought I’d end up with you eventually’, but at the end of the day we all know and love the Kooks first and foremost for their musical composition rather than lyrics.
A song that I wish my Itunes hadn’t been able to recover was ‘Do You Wanna’ I can only hope that this is a tongue in cheek song, because otherwise it seems that an ego trip has been the journey of ‘The Kooks’. Suggestive lyrics such as ‘I know you wanna’ and ‘would you like it if I let you into my world’ make me want to reach for my feminist wrath and give them a proverbial serving. I’m certain that few, if any women would actually ‘wanna’ with someone who has such self-promotion. Unfortunately the jagged and jarring riffs don’t help the song out at all either. Thankfully this song is an exception to the album, so it can be easily skipped into another song.
In “One last time” the detection of some light electronica in the chorus is a great addition to the gentle Ballard that comes in near the end of the album to create a soothing mood. And it tells the tale of lovers knowing the end of their affair is near and now he is desperate to hold her for just ‘one last time’, I think he has been unfaithful to her, but his recognition of his loss in her is actually quite humbling and beautiful.
So though they have had much progression from ‘Inside In/Inside Out’, ‘Konk’ is still well worth a listen and we can rebuild expectations in anticipation of improvement in a third album.
Review by Tahlia
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