(Photo courtesy The Kooks)Fans of The Kooks will thoroughly enjoy the British indie-rock band's fourth album, "Listen," released Sept. 1 in the U.K.
"Listen" maintains the same sound as 2011's "Junk of the Heart," despite a few stylistic differences — including a new drummer.
Paul Garred, the previous drummer, departed the band in 2009 because of a nerve problem in his arm.
“Listen” incorporates a few different styles, but doesn't stray too far from the band's low-key pop indie jam. It added a more electric flair to the sound but still manage to embrace indie roots.
The band has that particular eccentric sound that you hear all over Coachella.
Luke Pritchard, lead singer and guitarist, stayed true to his unique vocals. It’s not difficult to detect his inimitable sound.
The full album isn’t set to release in the U.S. until Sept. 9. Only four songs are available in the U.S., including "Around Town," "Forgive & Forget," "Bad Habit" and "Down."
These songs are an accurate depiction of the rest of the album's style.
Pritchard definitely hasn’t changed his style of making it exceptionally difficult to understand what exactly he’s singing. In fact, the new album is a tad harder to decipher than previous releases. But that’s just a part of a unique sound — definitely a style that hasn't been strayed away from in the past couple years.
The Kooks are on tour and will only visit a handful of states before heading to Japan and the U.K. Unfortunately, Arizona isn’t a destination on the list.
The British band is shaping up to be one of the new up-and-coming bands of the year. This album just might get to the top. They may even become mainstream.
If you were a fan of the band’s last albums, pre-order “Listen” and have it as soon as it’s released. You won’t be disappointed.
Reach the reporter at danielle.kernkamp@asu.edu or follow her on Twitter @danikernkamp
