Listen to Kooky Tunes

It seems that I am constantly reminiscing better days and first albums, like when I think of 2006's "Inside In/Inside Out" album by The Kooks that I started listening around 2010. This album's gems such as "Seaside", "Ooh La", and "She Moves in Her Own Way" really resonated with something and I've been a fan ever since. I seriously doubt that musical nostalgia is a unique phenomenon, even if it's semi-recent work. I haven't been too impressed with too many of their outputs in between (especially not the previous album, Junk of the Heart), but wanted to see what they had on their new album.

So I decided to give the Sept 2014 album "Listen" a spin. On many songs they eschewed more simple semi-untuned power chords and went into the 2nd decade of the 21st century with a stronger dance/electronic/funky soul influence, at least at first. And I'm not complaining. They've still got the upbeat rhythm and poppy lone-hearted pep to them, and the British voice that sometimes works and sometimes sounds a bit whiny.

With a strong start in "Around Town" that features some new-age beats and choral "oh yeahs" along with a nice guitar twang, singing they 'Need someone to love/Love me when the chips are down'. Definitely gets your feet moving a bit. Following with "Forgive & Forget" that starts as  chords and then gets more into danceable . Reasonable song in the "Westside", though I probably wouldn't play it much. With "See Me Now", they go into a slower ballad. Slightly picking up with "Bad Habit", and then the middle is quite middling until "Are We Electric", and the "Sweet Emotion" ending. Overall, this album is alright if you like the Kooks, and definitely gives a couple songs to play when people are around.