The Kooks Spoil the Broth

Three bands, all of whom had big albums a couple of years ago, are now each pitching the first single from their next LP on radio in the UK and my view on the outcome has surprised me rather, although it is based on these three singles alone.
The most promoted seems to be the first single from The Kooks second album Konk, which is already available in the UK on both CD and vinyl. The above-mentioned single, 'Always Where I Need To Be', has been available since the end of March and I have to say I find it quite disappointing. I had high expectations and, while it is not something I would switch the radio off for, its still-in-the same-place ordinariness simply didn't meet them.

Next in my sights is the new single 'Mistress Mabel' from The Fratellis' forthcoming second album Here We Stand. Now this was something that I had resigned myself to finding a disappointment because the singles from their first album, Costello Music (2006), particularly 'Chelsea Dagger' and 'Whistle For The Choir' were almost too catchy to be true. It seems that they weren't and, although much less pop influenced, the new single demonstrates that the cheeky Glaswegians can follow their own footsteps into the future without sounding passé.

For my money however by far the the best of them is this:
'Always Right Behind You' is available to download from 19th May and on 7" vinyl/CD from 26th May (all are current scheduled UK release dates) and is the first single to be released from the third album, You Can Do Anything, by The Zutons, which will have a UK release on 2nd June on the label Deltasonic.