“Don’t call me the spark. I’m the fire, and the flame”.
While I wonder how much I’d stand out from the crowd (in a “who’s this bland boy?” way) at a Confidence Man show on a daily basis, I can’t deny how much I adore their music. Their debut album Confident Music for Confident People was a showcase in how to fake it ‘til you make it. Bringing banger after banger and a level of sass that even made me feel like a superstar.
Four years later the Australian duo return to the studio and leave with new album TILT. A record that looks to take the foundations of its predecessor and build the most immaculate cities upon it. It is bigger, bolder and more confident than ever.
‘Woman’ kicks things off with an intro that could fill stadiums. Already filling the ears with glitz and glamour, it attacks the hips with stomping bass and grooves that match the bravado of the lyrics. It’s a great opener and considering how hard ‘Feels Like A Different Thing’ goes, it’s clear that this high-tempo and infectious energy is going to last throughout the album.
Much like ‘Don’t You Know I’m In A Band’ on Confident Music…, ‘What I Like’ sneaks into the hips with grooves, working its way into the good books. From the endless loops of percussion to the waves of synthesiser, it is a bop from start to finish. One of many highlights on TILT.
‘Luvin U Is Easy’ peels back the curtain a little, showing off a hint of vulnerability that brings Confidence Man back to earth, while maintaining the over-the-top instrumental that makes it easy to return to their regularly scheduled material.
‘Holiday’ is a joyous listen that feels like all of your best moments in life mashed together into this care-free jam. The centrepiece of the record that can be used to restore the mood of any event. ‘Angry Girl’ is the complete opposite, bringing fire into the mix as it pounds the groove into the skull like a direct attack as the vocals sound incensed in the best way.
TILT is a fantastic album, and I will be doing everything I can to tell you to listen to it. It is serotonin in a record. Confidence Man have progressed their sound to be even bigger and more immediate than ever. It is absolutely the fire and the flame.