'Junk of the Heart (Happy)' single: Review

“Junk of the Heart (Happy)” is the titular single from indie British group The Kooks’ latest album, and as far as generic love songs go, it’s an excellent one. Of course, “Junk of the Heart (Happy)” isn’t really a generic love song, neither lyrically nor musically.

For one thing, the lyrics are clever and memorable. “Junk of the heart is the junk of the mind,” the band sings in the opening line. “You’re a lover of the wild and a joker of the heart/ But are you mine?” Songs about unrequited or possibly unrequited love are common and easy to make boring, but the words in “Junk of the Heart (Happy)” are so poetic that the single becomes moving and genuine.

As for the music, it’s neither too fast nor too slow, and provides just the right amount of emotion to the lyrics not seeming exaggerated or overwhelming. It’s actually difficult to describe what kind of song it is, because The Kooks have proudly declared themselves to be “music whores” who draw from a number of sources to create their sound. This song could be described as pop-rock, but that label could also be used to describe the obnoxious vapidness of Disney stars, which The Kooks are far too interesting to be. In the end, perhaps the best thing to call this song is “indie pop,” because it provides all the heart and musical dexterity of alternative rock with the romance of pop.

In short, this is a love song worth listening to, and this single should pique the interest of music fans. It’s a great opener for The Kooks’ upcoming album, Junk of the Heart, which will be coming out this fall on September 4.