Junk Of The Heart

Brighton-based pop chameleons The Kooks aren't exactly out to change the music forever with their hooky nostalgia. Their goals are simpler, if no less important—for proof, check the chorus of "Junk of the Heart," the title track from their third full-length. "I wanna make ya feel happy / I wanna make ya feel alive," sings frontman Luke Pritchard, bouncing on a feather bed of strummy, winsome, Kinks-ish quirk. It's a lovely little song, even if it's ultimately more hook than substance (Then again, "Love Me Do" isn't exactly poetry). Cymbals pop; organs purr; sparkly synths wiggl...

<p>Luke Pritchard returns with a record that's not as angry as it thinks it is. By <strong>Caroline Sullivan</strong></p>

The glossy guitar-pop disappoints in Junk of the Heart.

Junk of the Heart Virgin **