One of our favourite guitar bands have recently released their sixth studio album, which is a victory on its own. Recorded in Berlin, The Kooks‘ brand new ten track album represents a period of work, inspiration and creativity in the city, ’10 Tracks to Echo in the Dark’ proves that The Kooks have by far not finished their musical journey!
An optimistic and uplifting sound, evidently also a reflection upon the past few years, songs ‘Connection’, ‘Closer’ and ‘Beautiful World’ are favourites that lift the album to another level. With subtle synth-driven soundscapes, the band branch out just about enough to create something new without walking away from the success formula they have created over the past decade and a half!
‘Cold Heart’ is one of the songs on the album that brings us back to the summery indie anthems the band released years ago that have never left our playlists. Even though it is hard beating pop anthems such as ‘Naive’, ‘She Moves In Her Own Way’ and ‘Seaside’, the band seem to succeed at it without even trying! Their effortless sound comes to us once again in the form of this sixth album, a creative and open-hearted collection of songs driven by a new mantra, to not overthink things and just make a record they’d want to listen to at home.
An unhurried, content feeling is audible on ‘Oasis’ and ’25’, songs a little slower paced with shimmering soundscapes that dance effortlessly with Pritchard’s sumptuous vocals, a voice we would recognise from thousands. About the album, Luke Pritchard said: “I really hope a sense of inner peace comes across, I really want to have fun with my life at this point. But also – it’s kinda a reflection of what I was feeling in real-time in a pre-and-post COVID world. I was reading a lot of sci-fi which is obviously really distracting from what’s going on in the world, but helped me be imaginative with the songs.”
‘Without A Doubt’ is perfect resume of the album, a worthy and slow, lullaby-like song that reminds us of ‘Seaside’ but with less of a bittersweet undertone. We might come back to an earlier made comment and appoint this our favourite single on ’10 Tracks to Echo in the Dark’.
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