The Kooks: Down EP

The Kooks’Down EP couldn’t start worse. The first sound you hear is a practically unintelligible wailing which, apart from demonstrating the Kooks’ tendency towards pretention, grates hideously on the listener. However, once you get past the intro “Down” actually turns out to be the best thing they’ve done in years and serves to signpost the band’s subtle change in direction (for the better) towards new soul and funk, not Pharrell style funk, but old school 70’s funk. The next two tracks demonstrate that the Kooks are comfortable in their new sound and EP closer “Melody Maker” even manages to recapture some of the raw classic indie magic of their debut. Overall, the Down EP is successful in its quest to show off the Kooks’ musical evolution, whilst not alienating their old fans.