Britpop. I live it. I love it. We don't really have a shortage of it here in New York, but there's nothing like being just bathed in all the latest and greatest while staying in London. It pours from the radio, comes across in cafes, and is painted on billboards across town.

#1 on the scene these days is The Kooks - a foursome from Brighton, none of whom top the ripe old age of 19 but who've already achieved triple platinum in the U.K. Stateside their popularity is wavering - probably due to the fact that their music wavers between pop, rock, ballads, with splashes of reggae and funk thrown in. They've got influences from The Kinks, The Strokes, and true peers Arctic Monkeys. One of the singles off their debut album, Inside In/Inside Out, "Naive," has the same flavor as Razorlight's latest single "In The Morning - melodic, catchy, pop. But just as they can sell - their album is triple platinum - they've got songs on Inside In/Inside Out that explore their range. Ballads like "Seaside" and mini-post-punk anthems like "Eddie's Gun." Some folks (i.e. Pitchfork) find this range disjointed and difficult to follow, but for The Kooks, this is what gives them their edge. According to lead singer Luke Pritchard,

"Bands tend to do one thing and then stick to it. With The Kooks we plan to do the opposite. When there's so much music to explore, why limit yourself?"

I'm with Luke - the young irreverence, hope, and screeching energy that echoes from The Kooks is contagious. I love the way their music vacillates, excites, and explores. And at just 19 and under they have a ways to go... The key will likely be if they can make it to their next album.

The Kooks are currently on a very quick US tour - visiting New York this Saturday night at Northsix in Brooklyn and then to California before starting a big European tour.

The Kooks Homepage
MySpace