British indie rockers The Kooks continue to make a splash on both sides of the pond with their newest LP Konk.

Produced by Tony Hoffer of Beck and Air fame, the album is named after the London studio where it was recorded. It will also be released in a double-disc special edition version featuring a second CD, titled Rak (also named after a studio), which will include seven new songs not included on the album and an alternate version of “See the Sun.”

The Kooks’ sophomore album follows 2006 debut Inside In/Inside Out, which made it to No. 2 on the UK charts and sold more than 1.5 million copies worldwide. Despite the loss of bassist Max Rafferty in January, the stand-in by Cat the Dog bassist Dan Logan kept the band sounding great and thankfully, just like themselves.

Konk is, in every way, a success. The melodies work, the lyrics are poetic and the sound is infectious. There’s variety. There’s Brit accent. It’s heaven.

The album kicks off with a poetic guitar-and-vocal-only bridge into the first track, reminiscent of their debut opener: “You can have everything/You can have love and lots of earthly things/ When it all comes down to it girl/ No matter what you do/ Take a look at yourself and realize I’ve been good to you.”

It quickly picks up into the second track, which also happens to be the first single. “Always Where I Need to Be,” is a song you’ll hear very soon if you haven’t already. And you’ll love it. The upbeat, guitar-driven song is full of catchy phrases and has all the makings of a hit.

Konk is peppered with deliberately rhythmic tracks like “Gap” and “Down to Market” and smoothly harmonized ones like “See the Sun” and “Shine On,” which show the musical talent of the band-mates.

The album manages to come full circle; closing with “Tick of Time,” which isn’t my favorite track, but does wind down into another vocal and guitar duo.

The album is a little slower than The Kooks’ first, but that’s not a bad thing. What it does translate into is a more cohesive sound this time around; it makes the group seem more grown-up without taking away the pop-rock fun.

This is an album that you can really enjoy and then start to appreciate more and more after a few spins. The band also will be playing at the Sasquatch! Music Festival this summer. But before you shell out the $66.50 to see them Sunday, May 25, check out Konk.

[Reach reporter Nick Feldman at arts@thedaily.washington.edu.]