"I had heard The Kooks' single "Naïve" on the radio enough times for it to get stuck in my head. I actually didn't think it was that good of a song...just barely catchy enough to be likable! I debated buying "Inside In/Inside Out", since I expected (and feared) that the other songs would be much in the same vein as the only one I had heard, but in the end I gave in.
The album opens with "Seaside", a short acoustic song that mixes nicely with Luke Pritchard's pleasant vocals. His voice doesn't sound as affected and overambitious as I had previously expected. The vocals, as well as the instrumentation, show a great deal of variety and style. The Kooks, though they do sound unmistakably British and modern, don't sound particularly like any other band that's around right now.
In my opinion, "Inside In/Inside Out" sounds best when listened from to from start-to-finish. Though there are a few stand-out tracks, especially "Ooh La", I tend to enjoy it more if I listen to the whole thing; "Naïve" even sounds better in this context!
Though The Kooks can come across as trying a bit too hard at times, they've still made a strangely professional, seasoned-sounding debut (selling 1,000,000+ albums in the UK!). This wild popularity will likely heighten fans' expectations of their second album, released April 14, 2008."
Power popfest
fluffy, the human being. | forest lake, mn | 03/05/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"choosen as the eleventh best album of 2006 by "Q" magazine, this is a fine gathering of fifteen power pop tracks. tuneful melodies performed with energy and joy, this is an all around winner for pop-rock lovers. supergrass fans in particular should find much to appeal to their sensiblities here. very well done stuff."
Ooh La...
J. Cox | Kansas City, MO USA | 08/29/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I'm glad British bands have stopped trying to copy the popularity of Coldplay. This band just decides to do their own thing. And like the name, their music is quirky. The sound is very british. And we can all sing along to it. If you looking for some happy music... try this band out. I'm sure many of you have ventured here because of their many catchy songs like "Naive" "Ooh La" and "She Moves In Her Own Way". Perhaps many of their songs sound similar... but really it's because the band have developed their own sounds. This is easily a solid debut from The Kooks."
The Kooks are out!!!
Nse Ette | Lagos, Nigeria | 04/25/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I am a Brit Pop fan, and it's albums like this which are responsible for my addiction.
"Inside in / Inside out" is the brilliant crackling debut from UK quartet The Kooks, and it has already sold over a million in the UK. Very simple, yet clever and catchy songs that will have you singing along.
The first song I heard off "Inside in / Inside out" was "Ooh la", a jangly, catchy song with a raw, affected vocal delivery (nice British accent), and I was hooked.
The album contains a plethora of great tracks; the lovely acoustic "Seaside" (which is too brief), the punk energy of "You don't love me", the similar "If only", the bouncy "She moves in her own way", the extremely catchy "Jackie big tits", and the more downbeat ska inflected "Time awaits".
"Naïve" (nice scratchy guitars set to a skittery beat) is another brilliant ska inflected tune (covered amazingly well by Lily Allen in an acoustic version), as is "I want you back" with great chord progression from deceptively mellow, building to an awesome chorus.
My favourite cut has got to be "Match box" which starts off downbeat with scratchy guitars, which explode into a frenetic chorus. A great fun song!
One word best describes this album; Irresistible!!!
"
Pure British Pop
M. McGovern | New Jersey, USA | 11/05/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The Kooks - a British band is pure, wonderful, rock/pop. The song "She Moves in Her Own Way" is pure fun and entertainment. The entire album is fun and worth the purchase for anyone who enjoys British pop! Buy it! It's great!"