Belgian surf rockers Humanga Danga have been digging into the genre’s past since 2018 (we previously wrote about 2022’s animating Watusi Peak EP), but Twangamajig! (their first full-length effort) once again proves they’re not interested in simply dusting the classics. The Ghent quartet takes the Californian twang of the 1960s as a starting point and throws in a lot of the styles they can remember from the interim period. The result is an almost entirely instrumental trip where reverb-drenched guitars, tremolo picking, melodic bass lines, and punchy drums keep changing scenery without losing the plot.
There is a strong sense of storytelling behind the stylistic detours in these twelve tunes; for those who can’t deduce it from the music itself, the intriguing song titles are provided with a short explanation. Opening track Chengdu delivers “Pure Sichuan Pepper Power”, Twist à Saint-Pierre is “A Commuter’s Dream”, Sefarage (infectious lyrics: “Hey! Hey!”) is about “Crashing The Wrong Wedding Party”, King of Khan is related to “A Zoukera”, Everybody Up (a cover of The Fender IV) stands for “Randy’s Candy”, and so on. More importantly, there’s plenty of melodic invention and playful musicianship throughout, riding the waves with a passport stamped full of exotic destinations.
Twangamajig—recorded by Jonas Nyaarr—is digitally, on CD and vinyl LP, through Surf Cookie Records. Featuring Stefan Valenberghs (lead guitar), Jonas Eliano (rhythm guitar), Arno Geers (bass), and Louis Van der Linden (drums, percussion), with Joël Dockx (sousaphone) on Sefarage.