The Kooks

The Kooks are one of the hottest and hunkiest U.K. indie acts around these days and it'll be interesting to see whether they'll break through in North America as a result of Konk, their sophomore full-length. It won't be for lack of quality as the disc is another engaging slice of quarter century Cockney energy and angst. Frontman Luke Pritchard embodies the spirit of young Britain and much like people like Damon Albarn and Supergrass' Gaz Coombes before him, his lyrics do a nice job of capturing a time, place and feeling. Lead single "Always Where I Need To Be" is perhaps the best example of this, but you could take any one of these 12 tracks to experience the brawn and brattiness of The Kooks. The only misstep is the lifeless ballad "Sway," which hopefully isn't a glimpse into the band at middle age.