Reviewed by Jeff Walker

My Rock Music Standard – U2 – The Joshua Tree

The Kooks’ second album is fun, light and breezy and features one of the catchiest singles of the year, but is poorly sequenced, has a sound that becomes slightly redundant, and simply doesn’t seem destined to stick over time.

Release Date: April 15, 2008

Tracks/Length: 13 tracks / 42:50

Producers: Tony Hoffer (Beck, Fratellis)

Review:

Honest Opinion: The Kooks do one thing really, really well and that is create songs that are extremely catchy. “Naïve” and “She Moves in Her Own Way” (both from their debut album) managed to lodge themselves in my head for extended lengths of time, and Konk’s first single “Always Where I Need to Be” does the same.

When you listen to Konk, you can’t help but put a smile on your face. The melodies are sweet and sunny, and even the more thoughtful, acoustic songs at the end feel optimistic (“Tick of Time” gives you the feeling of good friends, drinking beer and having fun). Konk is perfect for a drive down the coast on a Sunday afternoon. The problem is that once you get stuck in traffic and are forced to give more attention to the album, its weaknesses become more apparent. The songs are all pretty simple, which causes them to blend together too much. You hear one song and think “damn, this is pretty good,” but three songs later it’s forgotten.

Another issue with Konk is that the order of the tracks seems amiss. The three slower, acoustic tracks are all at the end and while any one of the them would be perfect album closers, having them sequenced consecutively makes the tone of the whole album seem very uneven. Incorporating some of the acoustic songs earlier could have reduced the redundancy of the faster songs. Instead, the acoustic ones stick out like thumbs hit with sledgehammers.

On the whole, there’s nothing wrong with Konk. It is enjoyable and keeps your feet tapping, but the lack of lyrical depth (“Do You Wanna” is particularly juvenile) and the simplicity of many of the tracks make it a bit forgettable. In short, this doesn’t seem like an album you would consider for the year’s best, let alone still remember it in December.

1st Single Representation: The first single “Always Where I Need to Be” gives you a great idea of the sound of the rest of the album. It is upbeat and catchy, and in my opinion, the best song on the album.

If You Are Going to Download Three Songs (legally of course), This Is What I Would Download:See the Sun”, “Always Where I Need to Be”, “Love It All”

Rule of 4 (if you like at least four songs the whole album is worth buying): Despite liking more than four songs (the previously mentioned three and “Tick of Time” are my favorites), the stated reservations would still make me hesitate plopping down the cash on the whole album.

Verdict: If you want to put the top down and have some good music to keep you company, Konk delivers. If you’re looking for something that resonates or will be an album you may listen to years or even months down the road, look elsewhere.

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