It’s been a long time since the world has heard something new from The Kooks.
Their indie rock significance came about with songs like “Naïve,” “Seaside” and “She Moves in Her Own Way” — a throwback to when frontman Luke Pritchard first won a million girls’ hearts with his loving lyrics and strong vocal range. But those who stayed up all night this past Monday, refreshing the official Kooks website for the release of their newest song, “Listen,” were probably unpleasantly surprised at what they heard.
Instead of a soft, acoustic guitar opening typical of The Kooks, a blasting chorus offers a dramatic opening to this album. Pritchard’s voice joins the group in the album's strongest track — “Around Town” — which showcases a new integration of sounds, ranging from electro synthesizers to electric guitar.
The rest of the album follows this departure from The Kooks' traditional sound. Tracks such as “Are We Electric” stand out as Pritchard’s voice is heavily edited and processed, making the song sound truly electric. The album has more of a stadium rock feel as opposed to an acoustic, softer, at-home-jamming approach of past albums.
Though this album marks an exciting change from the homely pick-up guitar sounds of The Kooks, it offers nothing particularly memorable. The album grows repetitive halfway through. Aside from “See Me Now,” a song about Pritchard’s deceased father, most of the tracks were devoid of substantive lyrics and personal approaches.
Though The Kooks will always have a special place in this indie-rock-lover's heart, this latest effort packs a substantially weaker punch than expected. Nevertheless, the band should be applauded for its hard work and willingness to experiment.
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