Hitting pay dirt with their debut album ‘Inside In/Inside Out’, The Kooks could have simply continued on this course.
Instead, they went a little weird. Indulging their own artistic whims, subsequent albums – 2008’s ‘Konk’ for example, or 2011’s ‘Junk Of The Heart’ – found the band taking unexpected twists and turns.
Even amid this, though, new album ‘Listen’ is somewhat unexpected. Fusing vintage soul, funk and more with their trademark brand of breezy indie pop, it’s probably the least Kooks-like album of their career to date.
Out on August 31st, the album arrives the same day as new single ‘Forgive & Forget’. One of the more immediate moments on ‘Listen’, the track is buoyed by one of Luke Pritchard’s most joyous vocals to date.
American tykes Wild Cub have stepped in on remix duties, and their carefree attitude mirrors that of The Kooks themselves. Adding some day-glo electronics and a neat electronic beat, it’s perfect sunshine fare.
Check it out now.
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