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Having watched the likes of Kaiser Chiefs and Hard-Fi crash and burn with their early 2000s changes in direction, fellow mid-noughties indie band the Kooks, perhaps unsurprisingly, only tentatively step outside their usual comfort zone on third effort Junk of the Heart. "Time Above the Earth" smothers Luke Pritchard's distinctive, slurring tones in layers of lush strings to produce the band's first fully orchestral offering, "Taking Pictures of You" is a slightly experimental slice of ambient pop, packed with languid grooves, buzzing synths, and reverb-drenched reverse guitar effects, while "Runaway" has shades of the Police with its cod-reggae beats, subtle synths, and new wave melodies. But with regular producer Tony Hoffer (Beck, Air) still on board, the majority of Junk's 12 tracks feature the same kind of inoffensive, acoustic, Brit-pop songs about girls that saw debut Inside In, Inside Out and follow-up Konk top the U.K. charts. The jangly, Dodgy-esque, summery opening title track, the breezy Kinks-esque harmonies of "Eskimo Kiss," and the rousing, singalong chorus of "How'd You Like That" seem destined to sit at the top of commercial radio playlists for months on end, but there's very little to get excited about with the cliched soft rock break-up song "Killing Me," the derivative honky tonk of "Mr. Nice Guy," and the plodding "F*** the World Off," whose lazy rhythms and gentle folk riffs are more "let's sit down and have a cup of tea" than the expletive defiance in its title. It's hard to see where the Kooks fit in among a musical landscape that has altered dramatically during their three-year hiatus, and while their play-it-safe approach may mean they're less likely to suffer the rapid sales decline of their contemporaries, they are now in danger of becoming indie pop's answer to Westlife.
© Jon O'Brien /TiVo
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Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Michael H. Brauer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Ryan Gilligan, Engineer, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Edd Hartwell, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - The Kooks, MainArtist - Luke Pritchard, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Paul Garred, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Tony Hoffer, Producer, Recording Engineer, Synthesizer, Programming, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - Todd Burke, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Cameron Lister, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Peter Denton, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Hugh Harris, Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2011 Virgin Records Limited
The Kooks, MainArtist - L. Pritchard, ComposerLyricist - H.W. Harris, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2011 Virgin Records Limited
Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Michael H. Brauer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Ryan Gilligan, Editor, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Edd Hartwell, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - The Kooks, MainArtist - Luke Pritchard, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Paul Garred, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Tony Hoffer, Producer, Programmer, Recording Engineer, Synthesizer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Todd Burke, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Cameron Lister, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Peter Denton, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Cydney Robinson, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Hugh Harris, Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2011 Virgin Records Limited
Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Michael H. Brauer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Ryan Gilligan, Editor, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Edd Hartwell, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - The Kooks, MainArtist - Luke Pritchard, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Paul Garred, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Tony Hoffer, Producer, Programmer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Todd Burke, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Cameron Lister, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Peter Denton, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Hugh Harris, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2011 Virgin Records Limited
Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Michael H. Brauer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Ryan Gilligan, Editor, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Edd Hartwell, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - The Kooks, MainArtist - Luke Pritchard, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Paul Garred, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Tony Hoffer, Producer, Programmer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Todd Burke, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Cameron Lister, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Peter Denton, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Hugh Harris, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2011 Virgin Records Limited
Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Michael H. Brauer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Ryan Gilligan, Editor, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Edd Hartwell, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - The Kooks, MainArtist - Luke Pritchard, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Tony Hoffer, Producer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Todd Burke, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - The Section Quartet, Strings, AssociatedPerformer - Cameron Lister, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Hugh Harris, String Arranger, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2011 Virgin Records Limited
Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Michael H. Brauer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Ryan Gilligan, Editor, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Edd Hartwell, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - The Kooks, MainArtist - Luke Pritchard, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Paul Garred, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Tony Hoffer, Producer, Programmer, Recording Engineer, Synthesizer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - Todd Burke, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - The Section Quartet, Strings, AssociatedPerformer - Cameron Lister, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Peter Denton, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Hugh Harris, String Arranger, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Denny Weston Jr., Percussion, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2011 Virgin Records Limited
Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Michael H. Brauer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Ryan Gilligan, Engineer, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Edd Hartwell, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - The Kooks, MainArtist - Luke Pritchard, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Paul Garred, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Tony Hoffer, Producer, Recording Engineer, Programming, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Todd Burke, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Cameron Lister, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Peter Denton, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Hugh Harris, Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2011 Virgin Records Limited
Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Michael H. Brauer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Ryan Gilligan, Editor, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Edd Hartwell, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - The Kooks, MainArtist - Luke Pritchard, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Paul Garred, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Tony Hoffer, Producer, Programmer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Todd Burke, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Cameron Lister, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Peter Denton, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Hugh Harris, Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2011 Virgin Records Limited
The Kooks, Recording Engineer, MainArtist, StudioPersonnel - Luke Pritchard, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Paul Garred, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Peter Denton, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Hugh Harris, Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2011 Virgin Records Limited
Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Michael H. Brauer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Ryan Gilligan, Editor, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Edd Hartwell, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - The Kooks, MainArtist - Luke Pritchard, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Paul Garred, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Tony Hoffer, Producer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Todd Burke, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Cameron Lister, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Peter Denton, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Hugh Harris, Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Denny Weston Jr., Percussion, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2011 Virgin Records Limited
Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Michael H. Brauer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Ryan Gilligan, Editor, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Edd Hartwell, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - The Kooks, MainArtist - Luke Pritchard, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Paul Garred, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Tony Hoffer, Producer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Todd Burke, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Cameron Lister, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Peter Denton, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist, Bass (Vocal) - Hugh Harris, Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2011 Virgin Records Limited
Christian Wright, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - David Loudoun, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - The Kooks, MainArtist - Luke Pritchard, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Hugh Harris, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2011 Virgin Records Limited
Album review
Having watched the likes of Kaiser Chiefs and Hard-Fi crash and burn with their early 2000s changes in direction, fellow mid-noughties indie band the Kooks, perhaps unsurprisingly, only tentatively step outside their usual comfort zone on third effort Junk of the Heart. "Time Above the Earth" smothers Luke Pritchard's distinctive, slurring tones in layers of lush strings to produce the band's first fully orchestral offering, "Taking Pictures of You" is a slightly experimental slice of ambient pop, packed with languid grooves, buzzing synths, and reverb-drenched reverse guitar effects, while "Runaway" has shades of the Police with its cod-reggae beats, subtle synths, and new wave melodies. But with regular producer Tony Hoffer (Beck, Air) still on board, the majority of Junk's 12 tracks feature the same kind of inoffensive, acoustic, Brit-pop songs about girls that saw debut Inside In, Inside Out and follow-up Konk top the U.K. charts. The jangly, Dodgy-esque, summery opening title track, the breezy Kinks-esque harmonies of "Eskimo Kiss," and the rousing, singalong chorus of "How'd You Like That" seem destined to sit at the top of commercial radio playlists for months on end, but there's very little to get excited about with the cliched soft rock break-up song "Killing Me," the derivative honky tonk of "Mr. Nice Guy," and the plodding "F*** the World Off," whose lazy rhythms and gentle folk riffs are more "let's sit down and have a cup of tea" than the expletive defiance in its title. It's hard to see where the Kooks fit in among a musical landscape that has altered dramatically during their three-year hiatus, and while their play-it-safe approach may mean they're less likely to suffer the rapid sales decline of their contemporaries, they are now in danger of becoming indie pop's answer to Westlife.
© Jon O'Brien /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 13 track(s)
- Total length: 00:38:46
- Main artists: The Kooks
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Virgin
- Genre: Pop/Rock Pop
© 2011 Virgin Records Limited ℗ 2011 Virgin Records Limited
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