Album Review: The Kooks, Junk Of The Heart

19 September 2011

by Poppy Reid

In 2006, the year The Kooks dropped their debut, Inside In/Inside Out, throngs of cardigan-sporting indie kids flocked to gobble up the quartet’s loveable Britpop. The follow-up, Konk, sent them floating down the mainstream in 2008; when they debuted at #1 in the UK and charted at #8 on the ARIA charts thanks to singles like Always Where I Need To Be and Shine On.

Three years later The Kooks return with their sights even further set on conquering commercial radio. Third album Junk Of The Heart has a more pop-channeled core than The Kooks’ earlier offerings, with a tracklist fixated on reinvention. Junk Of The Heart is the first with Max Rafferty replacement, Peter Denton on bass and also marks the return of founding drummer Paul Garred who left in 2009; but while the energy is back, the rebirth comes across undeveloped. 

Kicking off with the summery single Junk of the Heart (Happy), frontman Luke Pritchard turns the opener into an introduction to the new Kooks. Backed up by Rosie and later track Eskimo Kiss, and the oft overused but seriously underrated implementation of 20 or so la la la’s, The Kooks are sure to alienate fans who expect another Konk record.

Muffled guitars, simple keys and even a string quartet translate well for the most part of the album, but there are moments when promising tracks morph into fillers. Taking Pictures Of You is so close to the mark that the disappointment is worsened when lazy lyrics and ill-timed organs turn what could have been Seaside Pt. 2 into a plethora of convoluted layering.

Is It Me is an example of when the band seem to achieve the level they’re aiming for; the single follows a simple formula, with backseat bass lines, poetic one-liners and hints of disco teetering over the drums, it was radio-ready before it even reached the chorus.

Junk Of The Heart could have been the definitive, transitional collection that captured their brat-like reputation and intelligent pop proficiency and although it only just falls short, this only adds to the regrettable anti-climax.

Junk Of The Heart is out now through EMI Music.