Oslo trio Dancing the Conga are thinking bigger, louder and sharper on their new album And Now… We Take America. It is a genre-blurring rush of indie pop, 60s-tinged psychedelia and fearless political commentary, wrapped up in melodies that stick with you long after the final note fades.
Written, recorded and produced entirely by the band, the album captures everything that has made Dancing the Conga such an exciting presence on the Norwegian scene. There is warmth and intimacy at its core, but also scale. Guitars shimmer and surge, harmonies bloom, and rhythms build into anthemic peaks. It is music that feels both homemade and cinematic at the same time.
Fans of Phoebe Bridgers, The Beatles and Sufjan Stevens will recognise that balance of melancholy and uplift, but Dancing the Conga bring their own playful, slightly chaotic edge. Across 13 tracks, they explore relationships, identity and ambition while also taking a direct look at global power structures. Songs like “Security Council” and “American Girl” tackle themes of American imperialism and political compromise with wit and boldness, proving the band are not afraid to zoom out and challenge the bigger picture.
Since their debut album Trying to Define Newpunk, the trio have built a reputation for passionate live shows, including a standout performance at Bylarm where they won the NOPA Prize for songwriting. That same energy pulses through this record. It is messy in the best way, ambitious without losing heart, and packed with hooks.
With And Now… We Take America, Dancing the Conga sound like a band fully aware of their voice and unafraid to use it.
