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Lunatic
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Lunatic Image
Metascore
58

Mixed or average reviews - based on 4 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.7

Universal acclaim- based on 9 Ratings

  • Summary: This is the debut full-length release for the South Africa-based indie rock band.
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Top Track

Come with Me Now
Come with me now Come with me now Woah, Come with me now I'm gon' take you down Woah, Come with me now I'm gon' show you how Woah, Come with me... See the rest of the song lyrics
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. AllMusic
    Dec 18, 2014
    70
    There's a wan, vaguely Everyman lyricism at work here as well, which makes some of the slower numbers a bit of a chore, but when the band lets it rip, as in the case of top-down, desert road jams like "Hey I Don't Know," "It's a Good Life," and the aforementioned "Come with Me," Lunatic earns the shifty weight of its unhinged moniker.
  2. The Guardian
    Dec 18, 2014
    60
    Kongos play it safe, and their forays into reggae and acoustic‑guitar balladry are hardly original.
  3. Classic Rock Magazine
    Dec 18, 2014
    60
    While it's infectious, it tends to miss as much as it hits. [Sep 2014, p.95]
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  4. Q Magazine
    Dec 19, 2014
    40
    It's all very valve, very analogue, and Kongos' morality feel equally antiquated. [Oct 2014, p.113]
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User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 1
  3. Negative: 0 out of 1
  1. MacsMusic
    Oct 6, 2018
    8
    Kongos is a pretty special band. It's a band of South-African-Born brothers who do a little big of everything on their studio debut album,Kongos is a pretty special band. It's a band of South-African-Born brothers who do a little big of everything on their studio debut album, Lunatic. This album put them on the map, with a huge hit song - "Come With Me Now" that received significant air-play on both pop and alternative radio, and even on TV in commercials. The music on this album ranges from insane and frenetic - "Joking" - to very slow and stripped back - "As We Are," "Traveling On,". A few songs fall into the category of easygoing, pleasant soft rock - "Kids These Days," "Good Life." "Escape" is an easygoing, yet profound love song with some allusions to the end of the world. "Radio" is more on the weird, careless side, with pretty weird lyrics that don't seem to make a great amount of sense. The upbeat chorus brings some meaning to the song, and actually sounds pretty good. "Hey I Don't Know" and "Come With Me" play to Kongos' most distinctive side; a little wild, a little mysterious, and pretty upbeat.

    Now, how does the record hold together? Lunatic is a hugely satisfying record, with plenty of variety and originality, things that are sometimes hard to come by in the rock world. The vocals almost always land, and the original music works much better than you would think, judging by how varied it is. "Joking" is an epic, creepy, original, effective rocker; it sounds awesome. "Escape" and "Traveling" are completely different songs, but really sound fantastic. The lyrics feel earnest, and the music hits the mark perfectly. "It's a Good Life" does exactly what it tries to do; be an effortlessly easy-going, feel-great song. It works nearly perfectly. "Take Me Back" showcases a different kind of singing, and has a super-solid, great-sounding chorus. "Radio" has some of the weakest music during the verses, but the slightly wacky lyrics keep it interesting, and the chorus sounds both great and profound.

    Lunatic is a varied, original, surprisingly successful record with plenty of life. It has some really great songs, and only one clear miss - "As We Are."    … Expand

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