The Kooks - Never/ Know

Known for a sound which defined indie in the 2000s, The Kooks return with their new album Never/Know following their No. 1 UK Album Konk, additional 3 UK Top 10 Albums, 3 UK Top 10 Singles, 2 BRIT nominations and an MTV Best UK Act Award. Their 2006 debut album sold over 2 million copies, reaching quadruple platinum status in the UK.

Helmed by the two original members of the band – lead singer Luke Pritchard and guitarist Hugh Harris – the duo have never stopped evolving, transitioning from indie rock to synthpop and krautrock influences, growing their 3.5 Million global audience to what it is today.

The 11-track offering, self-produced by Pritchard, was born out of a mission to reconnect with The Kooks’ original creative drive. Speaking about the album’s impetus, Pritchard said “It’s not about going back to the first album’s sound, but to the roots of our influences and asking, ‘What is the identity of this band?” 

The whole thing was to just forget that the past had happened,” he says. But to truly move forward, they had to reflect: “What kind of music do we want to make, and how do we make it feel natural?”

Never/Know puts on show some of Pritchard’s most simple, yet expressive lyrics to-date. The songs are filled with witty one-liners and endearing nicknames for his children and loved ones, which resonate on the surface, yet carry a deeper, more personal significance. 

Sonically, an intoxicating cover of Paul McCartney and Wings’ ‘Arrow Through Me’ is the clearest indication of the band’s influence, while the album’s closer, the moody ‘Talk About It’ puts on show an appreciation for classic soul.