Album review: KONGOS – Egomaniac

KONGOS - Egomaniac

RCA [Release date 10.06.16]

When your Dad is the hit single selling Lennon-lookalike John Kongos (He’s Gonna Step On You Again, Tolokoshe Man) there’s a double-edged sword to potentially fall on with your (third) album release.  Firstly unfair bunk up due to DNA and secondly do the offspring live up to heightened expectations?

Thankfully Johnny, Jesse, Dylan, and Danny deliver an enjoyable album which maintains father’s pop sensibilities and his world music flavours which – in the early seventies – were fairly unique at the time but are now commonplace.  This band’s roots may be in South Africa but they are repurposed via Phoenix, Arizona.

Throughout there is an infectious pop/alt-rock/rootsy vibe, ably demonstrated on tracks like ‘Take It From Me’, ‘I Want It Free’ and the insanely catchy ‘I Don’t Mind’  which even throw an accordion in to the mix whilst ‘The World Would Run Better’ and ‘Autocorrect’ evidence wider political and social awareness albeit in somewhat coy fashion.

Overall, the album isn’t too challenging but if the brothers fail to repeat the chart success of their father that’s purely down to changed circumstances.  He can still be proud of them.  ***1/2

Review by David Randall

David Randall presents ‘Assume The Position’ on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio every Sunday at 22:00 GMT.


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