Already, the Kooks are being touted as ‘the new Arctic Monkeys’. Why? Because they’re from England and they’re a four-piece. In reality, that’s all the two groups truly have in common.

Sure, influences like the Jam and the Kinks can be levelled at both, but that’s truly of many an act. Where Arctic Monkeys have become THE music story of 2006, the Kooks are just another gigging band with a selection of interesting songs and a debut album to call their own.

There’s certainly nothing on the perfectly competent Inside In/Inside Out to rank it alongside Arctic Monkeys’ debut. Instead, it’s just a solid first up effort, with occasionally shining moments – the likes of the punchy double “Do You Want to See the World” and “Sofa Song” stand out just that little bit more than the likes of opener “Seaside”, which is just too cutesy for its own good, stripped down to vocalist Luke Pritchard and an acoustic guitar.

More likely than not, we’re going to be hearing a lot more bands like the Kooks. They’re good, but they’re never great. They do everything perfectly competently, and the power-pop moments are certainly most pleasing on the ears. Essentially, it puts the Kooks in the not-too-enviable position of being fine but not fundamental.