_{By Michael Luce}

The last time I reviewed a Sego album, I recounted the tale of my journey from hater to fan. While it would be funny to tell the opposite story here, it would also be dishonest of me to do so. Instead, I will bore you with the truth and focus my ramblings on the album that took me from casual Sego enjoyer to dedicated Sego obsessive.

TANDANG is really weird, but I think that’s what makes it work. It’s a band truly just being themselves and goofing off together, and it’s less gritty and more artsy than their previous work. In many ways, TANDANG reminds me of Arcade Fire’s Everything Now with its audacious glamor, undeniable scale, and immense amount of goofy, artsy bullcrap. (You know, come to think of it, the extended rollout of both albums isn’t completely dissimilar either…) It might be low-hanging fruit to compare any indie-adjacent group that started in the 2010s to Arcade Fire, but I don’t care; the similarities come more from the attitude and less from the sound.

The best part of this album is just how much fun it is. Where Sego Sucks gave off an uncaring, almost dismissive energy toward what the listener thinks, TANDANG coyly extends a hand and invites the listener to join it in not caring about the world; it’s much more fun that way after all. It’s the perfect development of the band’s style and actually returns a bit to the sound found on Once Was Lost Now Just Hanging Around, albeit with much better overall focus and more enjoyable mixing. It’s messy in an organized way compared to the 2016 album’s schmeer of sound.

It’s all the little moments that make this album great, like the gradual build of “TANDANG” until it becomes a raucous revolving groove and eventually collapses under its own weight into digital glitches and ambient textures, or the radio static popping in and out on “MALIBU MARY” as it lilts along. One of my favorite tracks, “SURRENDER,” hits the ground running at a frenetic pace that has already proven to somehow break live audience’s ability to clap along, yet retains that signature catchiness Sego is so good at.

Unfortunately, several of these tracks will have to remain surprises for a few more months for those without a turntable, as the album was released exclusively on vinyl back in March and won’t be fully available on streaming until October. One of my favorites from the yet-unreleased bunch (and maybe just one of my favorites overall) is the vocoder-soaked “COWBOYS AND HINDIANS”. I’m just such a sucker for vocoded vocals though, so I don’t think it was ever really up to me whether I liked this one. I was programmed to. I’m not saying it’s worth buying the vinyl solely for getting this one track early, but I might be.

These physical editions also include a few hidden tracks I was permitted to reveal: “PLATFORM PUMPS” and “ANDREW IS DEAD.” They both really elevate the listening experience but will never be available on streaming services, so once again, I’m not saying you should buy the vinyl purely for these songs, but I’m not not saying that either.

TANDANG is Sego’s best album yet. If nothing else, it’s certainly my favorite. It’s full without bloating; it’s fun but substantive; and the style never overstays its welcome or gets stale. I could see fans of Sego Sucks being a bit disappointed with lack of gravel-y crunch, but I do think there’s something here for anyone who has enjoyed any the band’s output in the past.

Make sure to follow Sego on Instagram. You can buy a vinyl copy of TANDANG on the band’s Bandcamp page. They’ve already had to re-press it a few times because of demand, so grab one while you can! Fans can also reach out to Sego directly via their new phone number. Just text 323.480.0500 with your name and where you’re based, and the group will let you know when they’re playing in the area — no ai, no bots.

You can check out “SURRENDER” below! And for those who have read this far, remember to be kind, and please rewind for the next person.