They will conquer the world
Tankery | New Orleans | 10/03/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The Kooks is the best new band to come out of England since the Who. Aggressive power-pop blended with an incredible sense of musical timing and those ballads mixed in showcase more talent than I've heard in years.
The opening acoustic "want to go to the seaside" and then a power leadin to "do you want to see the world?" The Kooks write incredible songs, plain and simple. While they might not have the post-punk sensibility of their peers like Arctic Monkey and Maximo Park, etc. They make up for it in universal power-pop appeal not unlike the Who did in their early days. Oh la is classic and there just isn't a weak track to be found. When the quirky bands have passed their attraction, the Kooks will be writing their equivalent "Who's Next."
On my top five list this year."
A great debut! Believe the hype.
Brian C. Springer | St. Louis, MO | 11/30/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This debut has generated quite a buzz fueled by significant hype in the UK. But it lives up to the hype, and then some. It sounds like a combination of the Dirty Pretty Things and the Artic Monkeys, with flashes of Ted Leo (See The World), the Knack (Eddie's Gun, the first single), the dub-era Clash (Time Awaits, Got Not Love), etc. Naive, the second single, is a great one too. While not at the level of Ted Leo or the Clash yet, they demonstrate significant songwriting chops, and there are few weak spots. And while very enjoyable on first listen, it still grows on you. Plus, it's just a lot of fun. This is a good one, and a band to watch."