Merseyside has a pretty decent history of producing indie bands and as indie itself continues its renaissance period, The K’s are establishing themselves as the areas big hope. Only last year they released their fantastic debut album, ‘I Wonder If the World Knows?’ and now they are back already with their sophomore collection – ‘Pretty On the Internet’.
As soon as you hit play, you are greeted with yet more stellar indie rock singalongs that sound tailor made for the ongoing festival season. We said much the same about their debut, but it’s no wonder that the band are already festival favourites with emotionally charged indie anthems such as these.
This really is another remarkably polished set of songs which demonstrate an underdog charm fitting for the youth of 2025 Britain. Lyrically these tracks are an insightful glimpse into the usual struggles of early adulthood. The mistakes, the regrets, the lessons and the realisations are superbly captured in a catchy as hell package.
Sonically this is a direct follow on of that debut record, but equally there are some delightful moments such as the string-filled ballad ‘Helen, Oh I’, which shows added ambition from the four-piece.
Pre-release singles like ‘Breakdown In My Bedroom’, ‘The Bends (Here We Go Again)’ and ‘Me and Your Sister’, gave a good indication of what to expect from this album. The full record however is still worth your time. As much as the likes of ‘Gravestone’ feel festival ready, the album as a whole has a summers day drive vibe as well.
In a short period of time, The K’s have delivered two very good albums and now the world does really feel like their oyster!
THE K’s – I WONDER IF THE WORLD KNOWS? – ALBUM REVIEW
There has been a subtle indie revival in recent years and it’s becoming somewhat cool to like music with guitars again. One young group to have grabbed moderate levels of attention is The K’s and that hype has slowly built towards the release of their debut album.
The return of festivals in this post-pandemic era seems to have heralded this new found fondness for sing-a-long ready, flare-lighting indie rock anthems and it’s in these fields that The K’s have helped to forge their own path.
It’s a positive then that straight out the bat you feel that ‘I Wonder If The World Knows?’ has been summoned by the festival lords for the good times ahead. As you listen, you can shut your eyes and feel the summer sun (or rain!) beating down on your face as you lose yourself in the music.
That feeling should serve the band well as we head into another festival season, and is a key takeaway from this record. It would however do the quality of songs a disservice to simply marry them to the good time vibes of a festival main stage.
Indeed, there is a depth to these tracks which provides a firsthand social commentary of surviving the current pitfalls of modern life. The lyricism is clever and relevant, strengthening the credible indie soundtrack and creating a collection of indomitable melodies.
Whilst there is more than a knowing nod towards the icons of northern indie, The K’s have been able to establish their own identity with a superb debut album. With the likely success that this record will bring, the band will no longer need to wonder, because the world will most definitely know!
