Koney - "Koney" review by Khrystal.

KONEY - KONEY

“Sonically fusing multiple musical genres, into something audibly pleasing, is no easy feat for even the most mastered musicians. When the genres hold elements of rock, pop, jazz, and electronic, the task can feel quite frankly, impossible. Koney, in their latest album, that’s self-titled, takes on the charge to do exactly that. With a feel of influence from bands like The Beatles to Kruder and Dorfmeister, Koney has beautifully, or rather groovfully created a body of work that is enchanting, to say the least. They take risk in songs by using interesting melodic choices, and by focusing on simple but tight grooves, and through that, achieve what most artists hope to do in their lifetime; make an honest body of work that leaves the listener’s soul full and their imagination inspired.

Packed with movement inducing grooves, Koney gives a soundtrack to the nuances of life that we all experience but perhaps don’t give much thought to. “Combos”, which starts the entire project off, brings a solution to the feeling we may have all experienced when we’re overwhelmed by even the smallest of tasks. ‘If the combination of the two, makes it difficult to do, separate them’. The message of simplifying a task in order to achieve the desired result with peace and sanity intact comes across loud and clear through the beautifully modest use of bass, drums, and keys. This feels like the secret to Koney’s ability to combine multiple genres effortlessly, not just in “Combos”, but throughout the entire project; simplicity above all, and when you achieve that, you will find a fusion of many more complex elements.

The percussion in this project is particularly impressive in its ability to teleport us back to a place in time where we might have all gathered around a black-and-white television and waited anxiously for Dick Clark to introduce the latest band that would be performing on American Bandstand. This feels especially true for “Buds” and “Sue 2”, in which both songs will easily, and without thinking, have you swaying along to their light, airy sounds, and catchy melodies.

There is a spacey and galactic sound that flows throughout this project, with the use of what sounds like Rhodes keys, a cool combination of synths, and clean, reverbed vocals. “Cowboys” brings to mind Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: Space Odyssey”. It could be the quick-moving melody that is continuous throughout the song, or the gentle guitar lead, that make you feel like you’re exploring new terrain. In the same vein of 2001: Space Odyssey and its unconventional approach to film and narratives, there is something strangely interesting about the combination of sounds that Koney chooses to use and how they use them. As the listener, we may not be able to quite put our finger on it, but we can feel that it is innovative and fresh.

The bass line in “Glue Diet” continues to carry this intergalactic sound, while still sticking with the concept of simple and tight grooves in percussion.

“Know” feels to be the track that ties the entire project together, combining all elements from the previous songs. Its observational lyrical content, rhythmic bounce, and break down with an assortment of horn-like sounds, make this an easy song to hypnotically have on repeat.

Something magical happens when the music reaches a place of call and response; when vocal melodies and instrumental melodies are having a conversation. There isn’t a desire for one to be heard over the other, because they are both essential to conveying the big idea of the project. Koney has found that magic. It’s apparent in each of the song arrangements, and groove breakdowns, that these are musicians who have mastered the art of communicating through music.”

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Review by ::

Khrystal.

Manor Blog Contributor

Manor Records gives 100% of article author rights to Khrystal.