Review Summary: A varied palate of music from around the world that's sure to satiate your hunger for something different.
Finding something new on the mainstream rock music scene is very hard nowadays. While there exist a lot of bands that pose as the saviors of Rock n’ Roll, it takes only one casual listen to know that it’s just a marketing gimmick. The music in question sounds highly uninspired, and suffers from the weight of expectations that the bands have forced upon themselves. But then, a band like KONGOS enters the scene, wowing every listener with their variety and determination.
KONGOS is a South African band of 4 brothers Dylan, Daniel, Jesse and Johnny Kongos. Their chemistry is apparent from the off as you’d never feel you’re listening to only the second album from a band. And it’s their desire to stick to their roots that ends up separating them from the pack as well.
Lunatic opens with “I’m Only Joking”, a foot tapping, Kwaito (a kind of South African house music) influenced track that packs many surprises. It’s then followed by “Come With Me Now”, an accordion based track that builds to a raging conclusion, and features some great guitar work. It has also received some pop culture recognition, being featured on a WWE PPV and the Expendables 3 soundtrack, and rightfully so. Just when you’re all settled in, though, they bring forward “I Want To Know” which has some Caribbean influences, and shows their ability to thrive under any circumstance. It’s not all, still, as “Escape” has a more poppy, mainstream vibe. And these are just the first 4 tracks.
More variety looms as “Kids These Days” brings the guitar into play before - and I’m not bluffing - an accordion solo leads the bridge. The slower tracks “As We Are”, “Take Me Back” and others show the vocal chops of Dylan Kongos, with the latter featuring a very melancholy tone that’s sure to linger in your mind. The penultimate track, “It’s a Good Life” is a lyrical favorite, which speaks of the plight of the modern culture. The album then closes with an aptly titled “This Time I Won’t Forget”, and you’re only left wanting for more.
Lunatic is, at its basest, a breath of fresh air. And while it seems like a clichéd thing to say, those that are looking for a different approach to rock, needn’t look any further. It’s refreshing to see a new band trying out something different, and getting recognition for it, too. There aren’t a lot of bands out there that can claim to provide the same kind of variety that
Lunatic does, and even if they do, it won’t sound as honest or clever as this. If you’re tired of listening to the same kind of music around all scenes, you’re just not searching in the right places. And trust me, KONGOS is where your search ends.
Recommended Tracks:
I’m Only Joking
Come With Me Now
Kids These Days
Hey I Don’t Know
