Following the discernible success of their single “Come With Me Now” from their sophomore album “Lunatic” in 2012, South-African natives KONGOS released their newest album “Egomaniac” with Epic Records June 2016. The band is gearing up to tour the world in support of the release. Starting Oct. 14 in Silver Spring, Maryland, the tour will wrap up in Dallas, Texas Dec. 6 after touring through Europe. The two-month tour will stop in Philadelphia at the Electric Factory this Sunday, Oct. 16.
Made up of brothers Daniel, Dylan, Jesse and Johnny Kongos, the quartet’s newest release showcases their maturity as a band while still keeping the spunk they had on “Lunatic.”
Known for their distinct use of accordion in their music, along with their incorporation of native South African music and hard alt-rock, KONGOS’ unique sound is one of the many things that defines them as a band. After “Come with Me Now” peaked at number one on the Billboard U.S. Alternative Charts, causing “Lunatic” to go platinum, “Egomaniac” has some big shoes to fill, but is on the track to success. Since its release in June 2016, it has reached No. 80 on the Billboard 200. The first single from “Egomaniac,” “Take It From Me,” landed on No. 9 on the U.S. Alt Charts.
“Take It From Me” is similar to the sound of “Come with Me Now” with its heavy beat, killer vocals and synth in the background. With a hard rock-alternative-EDM vibe to it, KONGOS has a little something for everyone. “The World Would Run Better” follows “Take It From Me” and has a very strong Twenty One Pilots vibe to it, with heavy lyrics, singing mixed with more of a spoken word verse and happy, yet eerie, instrumentals. For the listener who may be into slower, more heartfelt music, “2 in the Morning” is a step in the right direction. The rest of the album is full of hard hitting bass and strong vocals, the eighth track is slower, with an almost smooth jazz feel to it.
All-in-all, “Egomaniac” is a balanced mix of alternative, hard rock and acoustic rock. KONGOS have certainly grown as a band since the release of “Lunatic” in 2012. A great listen for any fans of artists along the lines of Coldplay, Grouplove and AWOLNATION, “Egomaniac” is a well-rounded album to listen to in full.