L'EXOTIGHOST - KAMONGO LP

L'Exotighost have released 'Kamongo' (Everlasting, 22), their second full-length album following 'La Cara Oculta' (Everlasting, 2019) three years ago. The Madrid-based band delves into the striking yet relatively unexplored genre of exotica, taking the opportunity to refine their technique. The quartet's new release showcases a noticeably more established band, taking additional risks to create an ambitious work. This new approach is reflected in more polished songs with embellished arrangements, including those featuring horns, saxophone, vibraphone, and clarinet.

Juan Pérez Marina's guitar and Ricardo Moreno's percussion join forces with María Arranz's marimba and Javier Díez Ena's theremin and ukulele-bass—all musicians with extensive experience in other projects—to shape this release. 'Kamongo' (Everlasting, 22) is also a more melodic and luminous (even more pop-oriented) album than its predecessor, while simultaneously incorporating a greater presence of surf sounds. All of this and more is woven into ten tracks, including standouts like “Mad Mad Madrid,” “Psicalipso,” “Addis La Nuit,” and “Twilight On A Bald Mountain.” Meanwhile, an Eastern influence is clearly present in “Wailua Lui,” though it actually permeates much of the album with the appearance of the Japanese instrument, the shamisen.

'Kamongo' (Everlasting, 22) is also a very cinematic album, most explicitly in the version of the theme from Antón García Abril's "El hombre y la tierra," but also serving as an imagined soundtrack in other tracks. It's an enjoyable work thanks to its changes in rhythm, intensity, and direction, as well as being striking and, in practice, very visually appealing, making it difficult to place within any specific area of ​​the current scene. In short, it's a peculiar album, suitable for music lovers, fans of unusual sounds, and the generally curious, and one that can be addictive and refreshing for the summer season.