Junk of the Heart Virgin **

There is something irredeemably nice about Brighton band The Kooks, purveyors of highly serviceable if not exactly riveting pop/rock. "A less severe Arctic Monkeys" was a description once thrown at them, but we'd change that to "less exciting". That said, there's always a place at our kitchen table and a beer in the hand for strumalong, songalong Britpop – who cares if it isn't arrogant or offensive, once it has a decent tune? Junk of the Hearthas loads of tunes, which is the good news; the bad news is that we've kind of heard them all before. The title track, Junk of the Heart (Happy), is as snappy as a puppy, and Mr Nice Guycould be (is?) a reference of sorts to The Kooks' general musical demeanour. Beyond these, though, it's a bit of a yawn. See thekooks.com

Download tracks: Junk of the Heart (Happy), Mr Nice Guy