Rock/Pop

The latest releases reviewed

THE KOOKS
Konk Virgin ***

Following the endearing, fluffy- chinned adolescence of Inside In/Inside Out, Konk brings us an older Kooks. Elements of their debut are alive and kicking, but this time purer pop tempers their rebellious puppy bark. With an early Beatles nod (Mr Maker), The Kooks have upped the pop ante while fusing old and new on the lead single, Always Where I Need to Be - a trademark Kooks head rush that will undoubtedly saturate our airwaves. Lead singer Luke Pritchard says that Konk aims to make people happy. Thing is, tracks such as Sway prove that the beauty in The Kooks lies in the unwavering hope and spot of grit beneath the pop, despite three-minute tracks and upbeat melodies. Youthful exuberance and catchy choruses are a-plenty, but a bit more of that grit, please. www.thekooks.co.uk DEANNA ORTIZ

Download tracks: See the Sun, One Last Time, Sway

OWEN BRADY
Prepare to Be Happy Sony BMG ***

According to the unquestionable authority that is GQ, Dublin-born Owen Brady is "the Jack Johnson it's OK to like". Poor Jack. Brady's first album, however, is likely to become the soundtrack to a fair share of house parties this summer. The sound is feel-good, slick, gently persuasive. Producer Andrew Hale has invested Brady's sweet melodies with solid jazz-funk production values, creating an atmospheric backdrop to clear, arresting vocals, deft harmonies and romantic lyrics. Waiting for the Sun recalls The Christians' version of The Isley Brothers' Harvest for the World, while If All She Has Is You displays Brady's winning charm, offering a gentle lesson in the tough job of keeping a girl happy. The title track

is fair warning to those whose cranky ways prohibit the playing of soft funk-soul; this is an album that sets out to make you happy, whether you want to be or not. www.owenbrady.com CLAIRE LOOBY

Download tracks: Angry, If All She Has Is You

BLOOD RED SHOES
Box of Secrets Mercury ***

From their growling guitar opener, Doesn't Matter Much, this Brighton duo set out their no-nonsense stall. Hawking a cheap line in girl/boy post-punk, with a back-of-a-lorry feel, there's something functional about what Blood Red Shoes do. They make noise, and a lot of it,

but instead of piling up layers of instruments, they pare things right back, preferring to crank up the volume. The effect is like having a rippling snare poured onto buzzsaw guitars, set alight, and lobbed in your direction. Steven Ansell and Laura-Mary Carter alternate on vocals, and sometimes (blame Ansell's try-too-hard approach), you'll wish that Carter was left in sole charge of the mic. BRS have huge potential if they side-step the tendency to be one-gear, but they have managed to create something massive and minimal that's grittier than a bag of sand. www.bloodredshoes.co.uk SINÉAD GLEESON

Download Track: Trying Hard, It's Getting Boring by the Sea

CAMILLE
Music Hole EMI ****

When it comes to vocally out-there female artists (Diamanda Galas, Joanna Newsom), there's a shared sense of seriousness, of classical dramatics. In terms of vocal gymnastics, Camille Dalmais certainly makes the team, but she ditches poe-facedness in favour of humour and exuberance. This is a woman who takes huge musical risks, and in places suggests Prince's most inventive years. Camille is the vocal equivalent of a Swiss Army Knife, transforming into a string section, bass or beatbox. Canard Sauvage is constructed from a percussion of pulsed whispers and splashing sounds. The backing vocals on Cats and Dogs are miaows and barks. It's taken three albums for Camille to sing in English, but language doesn't matter: her originality and range will never be lost in translation. www.camille-lefil.com SINÉAD GLEESON

Download Tracks: Sanges Sweet, Canard Sauvage, Money Note

NEON NEON
Stainless Style Lex ***

For Gruff Rhys (Super Furry Animals) and Bryan Hollon (hip- hop adventurer Boom Bip), the story of automaker John De Lorean's starry rise and ignominious fall has provided perfect fodder for their Neon Neon coming together. The pair's concept album about De Lorean allows them to put bling and excess onto the fast lane of the autobahn, as well as to dip at will into that hazardous zone known as the 1980s. In other hands, such a stylistic, heavy-handed smash-and- grab might prove unlistenable. However, Neon Neon have a lightness of touch and a winning way with deft electro-pop structures, which makes Stainless Style more than an over-egged pastiche. I Lust U and Dream Girls sound, as though they band are auditioning for Miami Vice, while Trick or Treat has a future-proof hip-hop sheen. There's much here to keep you smiling. www.myspace.com/neonx2 JIM CARROLL

Download tracks: I Lust U, Trick or Treat