Lee’s Listening Stack – The Kooks – ‘Junk of the Night’

The Kooks
Junk of the Heart
Astralwerks

When we last met these intrepid Brits, they were stepping out of their shell and demonstrating that any similarity in branding to the, um, Kinks was more than mere coincidence. Of course, it would be presumptuous to say that at that juncture – or this – that they emulate the song skills and adroit execution claimed by one of the best bands of all time, even though certain similarities bound the bands together. There are times when singer Luke Pritchard manages to capture Ray Davies’ droll delivery, particularly when it comes to one of the rare ballads like “Petula” or the crooning caress that accompanies a track like “Taking Pictures of You,” the very title of which sounds like it was lifted from the Kinks katalogue. Likewise, the Kook’s exuberant, over-the-top enthusiasm effectively captures the Kink’s early glories, especially on “Junk of the Heart (Happy),” “How’d You Like That” and “Eskimo Kiss,” where the barely contained choruses send those songs into high gear. Whether or not they will ever earn the right to stand side by side with their presumed namesakes remains to be seen – indeed, it’s way too early to tell — but given their apparent intentions, not to mention their vibrancy and velocity, they certainly deserve credit for trying. – Lee Zimmerman 

Lee Zimmerman is a contributor to a variety of publications, including Blurt, M Music & Musicians, New Times, Goldmine and Amplifier

This review appears courtesy of Amplifier, 50,000 Watts of Non-Stop Indie Rock
http://amplifiermagazine.blogspot.com/