Konk

The Kooks' easy-going and joyful sounding

British team The Kooks that released its debut album Inside In/Inside Out in 2006 has immediately found its own niche on the world scene for it performs light inoffensive music that combines the elements of several styles at once from rock'n'roll and Britpop to emo and ska. This year the band is ready to please us with its sophomore effort Konk produced by Tony Hoffer and called after the studio where it has been recorded. The new album is characterized with the same easy-going and joyful sounding as the debut but this time The Kooks has conquered a part of post punk dance rock territory adding more laid back feel to its music and at the same time the guitars and drums unite into more harmonious sound combinations than before. As on the previous record all the lyrics on Konk performed with a strong British accent of front singer are devoted to simple things and values like love and entertainment.

Konk - twelve wonderful tracks practically to any liking

Without pretending to be anything else the album Konk is in itself twelve wonderful tracks practically to any liking. The album opens with a great track to open the album See The Sun, lazy at the beginning and turning into a contagious Britpop composition. Guitars wake up on Always Where I Need To Be to refine the voice of the soloist to a splendid effect, whereas a calmer and more joyful rock-n-roll song Mr Maker is remarkable for a catchy tune. Real rock comes on track Do You Wanna with impressive guitar hooks and powerful vocals worthy of a life performance with a crowd of hard rock fans as viewers, while such songs as Gap and Stormy Weather are examples of the best bass lines The Kooks are able to make. Ballad Sway reminds of the first record's strong points and demonstrates the band's ability to sound soulful and romantic, and another contagious anthem Down To The Market is sure to become a new radio hit due to Luke's great vocals and unforgettable guitar hooks. A most beautiful and melodious composition One Last Time is sure to conquer the audience with the high notes that the vocalist is easily taking, and the closer Tick Of Time evokes an image of some bar with a stage on which a group of amateurs is earning its bread entertaining the unsophisticated audience present.

Music to cheer up

This group consisting of young advanced musicians from British province knows exactly what their fans expect and does its job perfectly well. The Kooks music is now heard on many radio stations of the world for it can suit any situation, of course, mostly serving to cheer somebody up and make people forget of their daily routines. As far as album Konk is concerned it has become a great continuation of what the guys started on the debut record – it is a collection of varied songs with varied moods that can be either liked or disliked and never leaves indifferent. It can be hardly said that The Kooks has outdone itself on the sophomore effort, nevertheless, with its atmosphere of a never-ending party it is never worse than the first one and the guys deserve praise for that. Probably next time they will decide to surprise us in some way but even if not their music will be wanted and anticipated anyway.