The Kooks have announced their new album Listen will be released in September, the follow up to 2011’s Junk of the Heart. The lead single Down was released last month, and they’ve released a four track EP under the same name with three B-sides that aren’t on the forthcoming album’s tracklisting.
The unfortunate side of this is that the other three tracks are far better than Down. Yet this extended play is still average at best. The band has a loyal fanbase who haven’t had to experience a bad album yet, so this taste feels like it’s lacking quite a bit.
The good news this is that apart from Down the EP is a release full of B-sides and while B-sides can sometimes be hidden gems, in this case there’s a reason why they didn’t make the grade and won’t feature on the album come September. Particularly on Down but all over the EP, Luke Pritchard goes overboard with his screeching habit that his vocals are recognised for. It’s not a bad sound usually but he over-uses it to poor effect. The three B-sides are understated, like the rockabilly Hooray for Henry, which features a nifty guitar riff throughout.
Hold On sounds instantly familiar while Melody Maker sounds very raw, much like a demo or one take recording. Overall the EP isn’t that bad, it just fails to impress. However, as only three out of four tracks won’t be on the album, there’s not too much cause for concern. The main issue is that the one track that will be is rather poor.
BY ALEXANDER CROWDEN
Best Track: Hooray For Henry
If You Like These, You’ll Love This: THE WOMBATS, TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB, RAZORLIGHT
In A Word: Average
