For those not aware, a double album is usually a waste of money.
The second CD is usually a variety of B-sides and alternate takes that weren't quite good enough to put on the real album but were thrown in as a last-ditch effort to sweeten the deal.
For all intents and purposes, double albums are an insult. Which brings me to the recent release of a double album by English indie rockers The Kooks.
While the main album, "Konk," is well-done, the additional album "Rak" seems half-hearted.
First the good news.
"Konk" is an adequate sophomore release from The Kooks, with some issues that should be addressed.
Musically, the tracks are solid, with catchy guitar riffs and good vocals delivered by frontman Luke Pritchard. Songs like "Stormy Weather" and "Do You Wanna" manage to wedge themselves into the brain and do not go away. Unfortunately, many of the "good" songs are piled up on the beginning of the album. It has a good flow even though it tapers out toward the end.
The main issue with "Konk" is the repetition that comes every few tracks. It appears that almost every song is a love song in some way, shape or form. The word "love" is uttered countless times, starting with the first few seconds of the top track. Having a few love songs per album is understandable, but when almost every song is saturated with the mushy stuff, the record becomes tired quickly.
Call me nit-picky, but the fact that "Konk's" namesake is the recording studio the album was produced in does not display the sort of creativity one would hope for from a band.
If "Konk" is filled with love, then "Rak" is filled with nothing. This "bonus" album is just an after-thought, full of tracks that clearly were not up to par for the main album. There's not much more to say about "Rak," other than that the CD can be put to better use as a Frisbee.
The Kooks are a good band with a sound that caters to those wanting poppy, emotional music. For the rest of us, the album is only worth a listen or two.
Reach the reporter at: adam.chaikin@asu.edu.
