The Kooks are the latest in a long line of meat-and-potatoes British guitar groups out to steal your daughters. On sophomore album Konk, the Brighton-based quartet ditches the few eccentricities that set its mediocre 2006 debut, Inside In/Inside Out, apart from anonymous acts like Razorlight, the Fratellis and Babyshambles. By doing so, the group avoids the adolescent moodiness of Inside In/Inside Out's worst tracks, but the results aren't nearly as fun. "Jackie Big Tits" may not be brilliant, but it's way more enjoyable than anything on Konk. First single "Always Where I Need to Be" does mix a decent, high-flying melody with politely raucous guitars. But from there, it's mostly straight-laced, midtempo rock about "love, love, love" that would embarrass present-day Oasis, not to mention recent U.K. up-and-comers Arctic Monkeys and Los Campesinos!. Though the Kooks nicked their moniker from a song on David Bowie's classic Hunky Dory, Konk is named after Ray Davies' (the Kinks) studios, where it was recorded. Davies' quirky, evocative songs about London sunsets and dedicated followers of fashion only underscore how little the Kooks have to say. His songs about girls ("You Really Got Me," "All Day and All of the Night") show how little the group knows about stealing your daughters.

-- Marc Hogan