When you take a break from putting out an album for three years, people will start to expect that it will fulfill the long-awaited expectations. The new album “Listen” by the Kooks, released on Sept. 8, is a good example of an album that the average fan has waited out for three years and was somewhat fulfilled and somewhat disappointed by the outcome at the same time.

This is the fourth studio album made by the Kooks. The last album in 2011, “Junk of the Heart,” was such a hit that the new album doesn’t really compare to its predecessor’s success. There are three top singles from this new album: “Down,” which had its own EP of four songs before the release of “Listen,” “Around Town,” and “Bad Habit.” It was also the first album since they got their new drummer, Alexis Nunez, in 2012, which could be a reason for all the newfound change.

For the new album, the Kooks changed their sound and took a complete 360 from their past three albums that were indie-pop classics. The new retro sound has a very 60’s inspired pop-rock feel. Individually the songs are catchy and fun to listen to, but all together the songs just don’t flow with lyrics that don’t have much depth.

The opening track, “Around Town,” blasts out a dance-pop feel and has an anthemic chant in the background making it one of the best songs on the album. The next track, “Forgive and Forget,” has a similar feel and has the Kooks sound we have all come to love in the lyrics and instrumentals. The majority of the rest of the album is just all over the place with one song going from being a cutesy indie number to a strange, unlike the Kooks song, like, “Are We Electric.”

Nonetheless, songs like “Down” and “Bad Habit” capture the classic Kooks sound, but still keep that new maturity that they wanted to achieve through this album. They are also going on a US tour to support “Listen,” and I will be attending the show on Sept. 26 at House of Blues to see if the songs of this album will sound better live and maybe change my opinion of the album.

All in all, the album is good for what it is individually but all together and with the wait of three years, it just isn’t what fans expected for the Kooks. But, at least the Kooks never fail to make one smile with that signature thick British accent.