The Kooks - InsideIn/Inside Out

Fri 31st Mar, 2006 in Music Reviews

“What is that? They sound like.. ooh I know I know! It’s.. no wait, I lost it. It’s on the tip of my tongue! It’s.. it’s…”

Trying to figure out who The Kooks sound like? That’s the trap I got caught in when I put on their debut album. As the tracks started to progress, my mind filled up with possiblities. Do they sound like some band? Can you hear a little bit of some style in that song? That last song was definitley influenced by… someone. The agony went on for about 6 songs until I came to the blissful realisation – they don’t sound like anyone, they’re a little bit of everyone.

Inside In/Inside Out is the debut album from UK band The Kooks. If you were going to describe this album to someone, simply stating that it sounds like a little bit of everything wouldn’t really clarify much. Instead, you might want to start by talking about the raw energy you can feel in each song. You could mention facts like the instruments that were used to channel this energy (electric, acoustic and bass guitars along with drums), the number of band members who played these instruments (four), or the accent these band members’ vocals posess (British). Then again you could just play the album and let it speak for itself.

The eclecticism in influences and styles allows for a track arrangement that keeps up interest whilst surprising you. The opener, Seaside, is a slow and mellow track. Consisting of only vocals and acoustic guitar, it doesn’t prepare you for the hard rock of second track See The World, which makes for a nice contrast. Songs such as I Want You (what The Beatles would have sounded like as a rock group) are interspersed with tracks such as Time Awaits on which you can hear reggae influences. Closing track Got No Love brings back the slow pace of Seaside infused with those hints of reggae, making the album come full circle.

The tracklist for Inside In/Inside Out is as follows:

1. Seaside
2. See The World
3. Sofa Song
4. Eddie’s Gun
5. Ooh La
6. You Don’t Love Me
7. She Moves In Her Own Way
8. Matchbox
9. Naïve
10. I Want You
11. If Only
12. Jackie Big Tits
13. Time Awaits
14. Got No Love

When you first look at it, something just stands out doesn’t it? You don’t fully realise it but your mind’s picked up on something and it takes you a couple of seconds to process the thought – those first three track names are alphabetical! Ok, Ok, so I noticed track 12 too. But look at the other names and notice the pattern – love, girls, relationships. These are the themes that underpin this record.

Writing about relationships is nothing new or groundbreaking, but it allows the songs to sound genuine as they’ve been formed from real experiences. Because of this, the songs are played more passionately, resulting in a better sound. They’re also themes that anyone can easily relate to, making the music more accessible and personal to each listener. Maybe that’s all a bit obvious, but they’re the kind of things you don’t really appreciate until you think about them.

To those of you still trying to pinpoint exactly who The Kooks sound like – give up now and spare your sanity.