British indie-rock favourites The Kooks are back with their most accomplished album to date. Never/Know is out on 9th May. Never/Know is a return to the band’s trademark anthemic songwriting and a celebration of their taste in timeless, classic records.
The upcoming record’s first single, the effortlessly infectious and groove-driven “Never Know,” is out alongside a brand new lyric video today. The single sets the tone for the album, showcasing the band’s reputation as one of the genre’s strongest songwriters. The track’s meaning is a universal one; the innocence behind the chorus’ mantra (“You never know, never know, never know”) captures the excitement of a newly discovered romance.
Speaking about the single, frontman and songwriter Luke Pritchard said, “It’s a love song about a cute meet with someone unpredictable. I like the idea of it being played in a convertible on a road trip somewhere ridiculous. Because really, you never know”.
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?”
The result is an album that encapsulates the magic of the band’s culturally pivotal debut while venturing into fresh, uncharted territory for The Kooks. From the lush female backing vocals on ‘Sunny Baby’, to the title track’s Motown-inspired four-to-the-floor kick pattern, the record is full of surprises. At its core, though, it’s an album dedicated to well-crafted pop-rock songwriting. Known for a sound which defined indie in the 2000s, the band has navigated an ever-evolving musical landscape and managed to resonate with a whole new generation of fans. 45% of The Kooks’ current core audience is 18-24-year-olds, and with over 7 million monthly listeners on Spotify today, it’s clear the quality of their songcraft continues to make an impact across the board.
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 more profound, 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.
The album started as a solo endeavour by Pritchard, who created a series of demos before inviting the rest of the band to join him in the studio. He and guitarist Hugh Harris rekindled the collaborative spirit that defined the band’s early, most spontaneous work. Harris said, “At the heart of it, we both want the same thing, and that’s very powerful.”
The full tracklist for Never/Know
1. Never Know
2. Sunny Baby
3. All Over The World
4. If They Could Only Know
5. China Town
6. Compass Will Fracture
7. Tough At The Top
8. Arrow Through Me
9. Echo Chamber
10. Let You Go
11. Talk About It
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