Loaded Album of the week
By Fred Spanner
The K’s: Pretty On The Internet ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The K’s aren’t here to whisper sweet nothings in your ear. They’re here to kick the door off its hinges. Their second album, Pretty On the Internet, is 12 tracks of indie-rock dynamite that somehow manages to feel as raw a scraped knee and as sharp as a fresh fade. If their debut had you pogoing in the pub, this one might just make you have an existential crisis on the dancefloor (in the best way possible)
Big belters like “Before I Hit the Floor” and “Rat Poison” are fast, noisy, and gloriously chaotic. But they’re not just swinging blindly anymore. There’s precision behind the punch.
Grammy-winner Jim Lowe is behind the knobs here, and it shows. But don’t worry, they haven’t gone all Coldplay on us. There’s a bit more depth, a few more textures, but the fire’s still there. The vocals sound richer, the guitars tighter, but it still feels like it might fall apart at any moment. Exactly how it should.
“Breakdown in My Bedroom” is a stylish effort, discussing anxiety and being stuck in your own skull.
And then there’s “The Bends (Here We Go Again)”; part confessional, part anthem. It's the kind of track that makes you feel like you’ve just been through something massive, even if you’re just sitting on the bus.
Those who think the days of indie guitar bands are numbered, might have a rethink after giving this a listen.