If ever there was a band born to take the mantle Arctic Monkeys chose to dash away, that band would be the Kooks. Signed to a major THREE MONTHS after they formed, they had a coupla hits to go along with it and the attitude all English “Pop” bands viz, they might not be Squeeze yet but they play Chris Difford in a pop band.
Meanwhile, Luke Pritchard started dating dolly models and the band suffered from whatever comes after the second album syndrome and haven’t been too hot ever since. The one time I saw em live they were neither Blur nor were they Acrtic Monkeys, but fit somewhere in the middle and the new EP, Down, is ok but nothing special.
Hurt by a weak lead off bluesy Brit rocker “Down”, it suffers from the EP headache, viz there isn’t enough time for them to get their bearings, and while “Hooray For Henry”, whose intro goes on way too long, captures a Keith Richard riff in full flight, the song isn’t quite there. “Hold On” is way too fussy for a straight up no chaser rocker. “Melody Maker” is a pleasant and unassuming acoustic pop song and more power to em. It isn’t great but it isn’t Jack Johnson.
I wouldn’t even bother reviewing it but there is something about the Kooks that promised so much more, they seemed fitted into a long line of great UK Pop (by whatever) definition, and it just isn’t here. The Kooks artistic decline continues unabated and it is really a pity because somewhere or the other they have that something that can lead to real rock success stories. Lay off the birds, Luke, write better songs.
Grade: C+
