Can you learn how to rock? On the evidence of the Kooks, graduates from Brighton’s rock school, the answer is yes. Snapped up by Virgin in their teens, the quartet possess a dynamic, pouty frontman in Luke Pritchard and a bright, inventive guitarist in Hugh Harris. Their sound is a crisp guitar rush, leavened with a strong grasp of Britpop eclecticism. Most importantly, their debut is packed with tunes, notably an opening salvo of rockers that includes hits such as Sofa Song and Eddie’s Gun, as well as the exuberant anthem Matchbox.
They’re not the finished item — occasionally they mistake showing off for depth — but the Kooks still merit straight As.
(Virgin)