British indie rock staples The Kooks have released a slice of sunshine with their latest single, “Sunny Baby,” a breezy and heartfelt homage to frontman Luke Pritchard’s family life. A fitting soundtrack for the lead-up to their new album, “Never/Know,” which arrives May 9, 2025.
The first strum feels like a warm hug as The Kooks’ distinctive, slinky take on indie-pop meets renewed depth and soulfulness. Pritchard’s crooning vocals float on sweeping, widescreen harmonies but provide a new and familiar soundscape. It’s an evolution that embraces classic rock and soul influences but retains the infectious melodies.
The song is a love letter to Pritchard’s children and the simple pleasures of family life. The delivery has an undeniable tenderness, a sentiment that seems all the more authentic and lived-in. The track beams golden-hour light, encapsulating the warmth of memories captured in motion as if flipping through a decades-old photo album of lazy beach days by the water, chuckles, and bleary-eyed sunsets fading into the background.
Complementing the track is a lovely music video directed by Dylan Nicholson, presenting Pritchard running through the golden beaches of Sydney, seen through an Instamatic lens. The murky visuals capture the tune’s dreamier, developer end, enveloping listeners in a world where time stretches long enough to take a moment.
“Sunny Baby” is a mood, a call to enjoy life to the fullest in the here and now while remembering the past. As The Kooks prepare for their studio album, the single is an example of a mature yet simple reinvention, demonstrating their talent for writing timeless, feel-good anthems has not diminished. With “Sunny Baby,” The Kooks remind us that life’s most beautiful moments are often the simplest sometimes, and all it takes to resurrect them is a song.
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