Java.July.2016

I’m not sure there has been more anticipation for a
semi-local album in years, possibly decades. After
nearly 50 spins of Egomaniac, I have to say the wait
was well worth it. The brothers KONGOS clearly took
the last four years to fortify their strengths, add new
elements to their sound and hone their craft. The day
it came out, someone was blasting Egomaniac in the
parking lot of a local music venue and people were
dancing all around in the madness of the heat. It was
a beautiful sight to see.
Anyone worrying that Egomaniac would not live up
to its predecessor can extinguish those fears straight
away. When all is said and done, it’s a better, more
consistent and mature album. The songwriting and
lyricism have strengthened, and they’ve clearly benefited
from their travels. If anything, they show more
intellectual acuity.
Dylan Kongos (vocals, bass, pedal-steel guitar, guitars),
Danny Kongos (guitar, slide guitar, vocals),
Jesse Kongos (drums, vocals, guitars, bass, synths,
programming) and Johnny Kongos (accordion, piano,
vocals, synths, programming) each help lay to
rest any concerns that Lunatic was a flash-in-thepan
accident loaded with singles. With the release
of the pre-album single, “Take It From Me,” back
in April, it seemed clear that Egomaniac was aiming
at being every bit as fantastic as the album that put
them in spotlight.
“Take It From Me” kicks off the affair in fine style.
The drums hit harder than ever before as Jesse wails
on vocals. There’s a fair amount of studio wizardry
when it comes to vocal effects, but unlike an experiment
with Auto-Tune, these only serve the song for
the better. Johnny’s synth work is also apparent, as
well as the signature accordion, which no one rocks
better than KONGOS. Danny’s guitar is on point, making
his brief solo memorable as a bluesy riff guides
it throughout. It is the perfect lead-off single—excitable,
upbeat and concise. Lyrically, it’s about pushing
things too far, whether it’s fame, money or anything
else—the kind of obsession that can consume you if
you don’t stay grounded.
Youngest brother Danny’s song “The World Would
Run Better” is next. He has really come into his own
with both songwriting and guitar work. This is a
slower number at first, and it feels like it’s going to
stay that way, until after the minute mark when it
takes on a sort of disco feel. Lyrically it’s got more
than a bit of humor. The underlying notion is a wry
look at wanting to control things beyond one’s ability.
Each brother contributes three songs, and each gets
to sing on his own songs—except Jesse, who wrote
a fourth for another brother to sing: “I Want It Free.”
It was joked that this makes Jesse the biggest
egomaniac in the band, during an interview with
local luminary Beef Vegan from TMI Radio Show
on KWSS 93.9 FM. The song is going to be a great
foot-stomper live and it’s going to drive crowds
wild all across the globe. It takes careful aim at the
1% lyrically, but it doesn’t make its politics unpalatable.
That aside, it has some of the best rhythm combos
on the entire album.
Dylan put his pen and his voice to one of my favorite
tracks on the album, “Underground.” It’s got a
darker feel than much of their work, and yet it’s
still fantastically danceable. It also has one of the
most brilliantly obscure lyrical references when it
mentions Flight 305: an allusion to the case of D.B.
Cooper, who hijacked a flight by that number and
parachuted into the Pacific Northwest woods never
to be seen again. It takes some talent to turn that
idea into a perfect pop song.
“Autocorrect” begs to be a single and is one of Jesse’s
finest moments. With references to Google, The
Matrix and cybernetics, it seems an almost cautionary
tale of how technology is consuming us, and more
to the point, how we are welcoming it, despite all
warning signs. Words of warning aside, this is going
to have people chanting “I wanna get fucked up” for
years to come with their unique intonation and pacing.
Who wouldn’t want to have autocorrect for their
life, since it works so well on their phone?
There is a certain charm and introspection to Danny’s
songs, and one of the best examples is “Where I
Belong”—a soul-searching number and one of the
most reflective on the album. It’s also got some of his
best slide guitar work. There is a down-to-Earth quality
to it that makes you feel right at home.
Johnny’s “Birds Do It” marks his first solo songwriting
appearance on the album. It’s a wry tale of sexual
politics with an emphasis on his much beloved accordion,
even getting a solo in with that. It’s deceptively
catchy but doesn’t fly off the record at first. Then,
days later for no apparent reason, you will find yourself
singing it on the street. It’s low key, but a subversive
earworm nonetheless.
Danny’s “2 in the Morning” is the most touching song
on the album. It’s ostensibly about trying to pick up a
girl at a bar after last call, while being such a paean
to late-night loneliness that it’s an instant classic. He
even sings “Don’t you know we’ve all been there,”
and he’s right, because we have, if only in our youth.
It’s this soft, reflective tone that makes Danny’s songs
so formidable in their own right.
“Look at Me” is the song that gives the album its
title, and it’s another from Jesse. It’s as much about
the modern state of narcissism as it is about an
unhealthy relationship. This particular track has endless
remix potential, and the mix of synth strings with
African percussion only adds to that sensibility.
One of my favorite tracks probably won’t be a single,
but it’s a fantastic place to lose yourself for nearly
four minutes. “I Don’t Mind” will bore a hole through
your brain and stay there for months, I assure you,
which is why it should be a single. It is one of the
catchiest things Dylan has ever written, which says
a lot. What’s it about, though? Getting drunk and
going to Lost Leaf, according to Dylan’s interview
with Beef Vegan.
All right, maybe “Hey You, Yeah You” is the catchiest
thing Dylan has ever written, or maybe my mind just
heeds his hooks. This late in the album, though, you
could make the case for nearly every song here to be
a single somewhere. It is clear there was painstaking
effort applied to the track listing of Egomaniac and
the pacing of the entire thing. This may be the biggest
difference between it and Lunatic, which is why I
believe this is the better album.
A lot of my friends are losing their mind over Johnny’s
“Repeat After Me,” and I can understand that sentiment.
It is a total indictment of organized religion and
as fascinating a ride lyrically as it is musically. It is
one of the most intellectually astute songs KONGOS
have ever committed to record and also a damn fine
foot-stomper that will make festival crowds lose their
minds in no uncertain terms.
The album finishes with the lush beauty of “If You
Could,” which bears a striking resemblance to how
Lunatic finished with “This Time I Won’t Forget.”
This is Jesse’s most touching song on the album—a
romping party of an album with a sweet, soft landing.
The African music influence has never been more
prevalent in what is essentially a folk song, peppered
with African Shangaan Electro touches.
Once more, the esoteric references are striking. One
is “Heropass,” from G.I. Gurdjieff’s epic Beelzebub’s
Tales to His Grandson, referring to the passage of
time that, try as we might, we cannot fight. It leaves
the album on a thoughtful note. Egomaniac is a triumphant
return for KONGOS, and upon repeated listens
it grows greater in its power. KONGOS have grown
up in front of our eyes since they released their first
album nine years ago, and with this third record, they
seem primed to take over the world. I for one welcome
our KONGOS overlords.
JAVA 31
MAGAZINE