A By-The-Letters Review Of The Kooks
In grading the grating Inside In / Inside Out record by The Kooks, Stylus went the humour route before assigning the album a big fat "D." They imagine a correspondance between UK label execs that probably hits close to home for some music biz blokes. An "email" excerpt:
----- Original Message -----Head there for the "full exchange" between the UK label honchos. And note that it's possible to attempt a humor review without involving animal piss.
From: XXXX@[UK Record Label]
To: XXXX@[UK Record Label]
Sent: Thursday, November 23, 2006 6:03 PM
Subject: Re: The KooksXXXX
That's great. I agree that this lot are really shaping up nicely. I was, I must admit, a little worried before radio got hold of Naive and the album took off. Having a third single peak at 12, with the kind of push we were giving them was disheartening to say the least. Getting them to agree its single release was a nightmare Luke [Pritchard lead singer of The Kooks] was very precious about it but I had to lay down the law with him, I told him that if they didn't have a radio hit they'd be going the way of BRMC [Black Rebel Motorcycle Club US group who parted company with Virgin records in 2004]. That shut him up.
His point that the production made it sound like Athlete before they sounded like Coldplay made me laugh. We made it pretty hot in the mastering so it sounded great on the radio. I agree international success is a priority and now with Inside being out there in the US market place, we can build their profile and maybe come second album time get a “Chasing Cars” out of them. I think we are going to have to miss the indie appeal in the US and go straight for the “OC.” In the UK the leather jackets and scruffy hair does half the work, I mean the cred of The Libertines and the all around appeal of Busted is an obvious no brainer domestic but in the US both of those bands did shit.
Posted at 12:42 PM
Tags: The Kooks
Excellent. Unfortunately, I can only see it lasting for as long as people on message boards don't start going "it's real! It's all real!"
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Very funny...I especially enjoyed the comparison irony. Since BRMC is absolutely amazing, live and recorded, and the new Snow Patrol album is...well...I usually don't get rid of albums I buy, but Eyes Open is going in my ebay box.
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the kooks record was one of my favorite records of 2006. it drives me nuts that all these indie kids dismiss it as soon as they get the chance. they never have any valid reason's. i'm not saying that the kooks are earth shattering, but 'inside in/inside out' is a fuckin' great pop record. give credit where credit is due.
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but IT IS REAL!!!!!!!!
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Ha, brilliant. I do so hate the Kooks. They're the second dullest band on the face of the Earth.
(Oasis, obviously)
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Their single is awful, it sounds like Third Eye Babyshambles to me; a Jack Daniels voice singing Shopping Mall lyrics over Matchbox 20 chord changes.
blech.
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The Kooks are all right.
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Wow, label dudes chatting shit about their artists. Shouldn't this be on Coolfer?
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i love the kooks, but they are gonna suck if they start getting played on the radio
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the kooks are amazing, i dont really like naive, but have you heard their cover of crazy and the rest of their cd?
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yeaaaaaaaah the kooks, lo mejoorr , lejos!
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i think you have to take them with a grain of salt. yeah, they sport wayfarers and tight pants and their music is not in the least indie, but they're good for what they are. personally, i'm always up for belting out a round of matchbox in a faux-british accent.
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