Confidence Man – ‘3AM (La La La)’ album review: infectious dance for a new generation
THE SKINNY: It has been eight years since Confidence Man first burst onto the radar with their unique brand of danceable indie electro-pop. Since that seminal debut album Confident Music for Confident People, the band have been on a whirlwind journey, which has seen them rise from grassroots venues to some of the world’s largest stages, including stand-out performances at Glastonbury and sold-out shows across the globe. Since relocating from Australia to London a few years ago, the band have been free to fully embrace their adoration for dance music and rave culture, culminating in the release of 3AM (La La La).
The first thing to note about Confidence Man’s long-awaited third studio album is that it is largely a departure from their earlier work. While Sugar Bones, Janet Planet, Reggie Goodchild, and Clarence McGuffie retain the same potential for creating infectious hooks and danceable rhythms, the sense of humour inherent in the first two albums has, by this point, largely dissipated.
What’s more, 3AM perhaps offers less variety in sound than the band’s previous work, opting instead to pursue club-style dance bangers with dedication. Vocal duties, for instance, are given predominantly to Janet Planet, whereas previous albums saw more of an even split. These facts may come as a slight disappointment to long-term Con Man fans, but they do not really harm the innate quality of the Aussies’ latest offering.
Although the album takes Confidence Man in something of a new direction, the tracks encased within 3AM are wonderfully retro-inspired. Towards the beginning of the record, Janet Planet and Sugar Bones espouse their love of Y2K club music, even bordering on the divisive style of Eurodance on songs like ‘Control It’. As the record progresses, however, Confidence Man delve further into old-school British rave culture, touching upon and paying homage to everything from jungle to acid house. It makes sense that the band cite the likes of KLF and The Prodigy as predominant influences.
The rapid rise to success of Confidence Man has, of course, been bolstered by their live performances – complete with multiple outfit changes and dance routines. However, 3AM affirms the fact that the group are equally capable of putting on a captivating live performance as they are creating a fantastic dance album in the studio. Ultimately, the album is not the most profound, high-brow piece of art ever created, but it provides endless propensity for danceable club euphoria, and who could complain about something like that?
For fans of: Going into your overdraft on a night out, obsessively buying Y2K clothing off Depop, and finding mystery baggies on nightclub floors.
A concluding comment from an Aussie guitar purist: “I knew entering Eurovision was a step in the wrong direction for this country’s culture.”
3AM (La La La) track by track
Release date: October 18th | Label: Chaos/Polydor/I Oh You Records | Producer: Reggie Goodchild
‘Who Knows What You’ll Find’: Featuring gentle vocals from Janet Planet during the intro, the album’s opener almost harks back to the band’s early material before delving headfirst into this club-centric, exclusively party-focused new era for the group. [3/5]
‘I Can’t Lose You’: A pretty straight-line dance track that features the innate sense of fun permeating this album. However, this particular example is perhaps less memorable than some of the others on this record. [2.5/5]
‘Control It’: One of the album’s stand-outs, evoking Y2K dance classics, with hints of Eurodance clearly present, too. This might not feature the broad appeal of Con Man classics like ‘Boyfriend (Repeat)’, but it is representative of a new direction for the band. The driving beat and vocals certainly make ‘Control It’ difficult to listen to while remaining still. [3.5/5]
‘So What’: This is an early high-point within the album, with a track that will undoubtedly become a mainstay of Confidence Man’s now-legendary live performances during the upcoming tour. Musically, it is a perfect in-between of the band’s older work and the endlessly dance-orientated new material. [4.5/5]
‘Breakbeat’: A wonderfully retro 1990s club banger that would have been a perfect addition to the landscape of ‘Brat Summer’ had it been released slightly earlier in the year. Equally befitting of a festival in the sun or a sweaty warehouse party in the arse end of nowhere. [4/5]
‘Sicko’: An infectiously retro drum beat and a driving bassline, layered with a sultry vocal performance from Sugar Bones, make up the backbone of this song. As we reach the midpoint of the album, Confidence Man demonstrate their ability to slow things down occasionally while still retaining the unavoidable need for dance. [3.5/5]
‘Real Move Touch’: That timeless call of “Selecta!” has never been so unexpected as preceding a Confidence Man song. Speaking to the band’s clear interest in the history of diversity of dance music, the song pays homage to 1990s rave culture, drum and bass, and jungle through a stunning collaboration with Sweetie Irie. It is much more than a non-consequential dance anthem. [4.5/5]
‘Far Out’: Although, disappointingly, this is not a musical homage to this website, ‘Far Out’ remains a fantastically fun, driving, bass-heavy effort from the Aussies. Once again, it is easy to see how this song will become an intrinsic element of the band’s live performances, although it still sounds great on record, too. [4/5]
‘Janet’: Something of a theme song for Confidence Man’s Janet Planet, whose vocals have largely dominated this record thus far, this is certainly not the most inspired track from across 3AM (La La La). While it is far from being a bad song, ‘Janet’ largely continues the same theme without much development. [3/5]
‘So Tru’: If it was not yet clear that Confidence Man had relocated from Australia to London, the beat which backs ‘So Tru’ is typical of the capital’s long history of dance, hip-hop, and even grime music – although, admittedly, Planet’s vocals add that typical Con Man touch to proceedings. [3.5/5]
‘Wrong Idea’: Despite being the penultimate track of the album, Confidence Man show no signs of letting off the accelerator on ‘Wrong Idea’, keeping those infectious dance club bangers going long into the early hours of the morning. [4/5]
‘3AM (La La La)’: Time seems to move differently at three in the morning; troubles seem to fall away in favour of dancing and joy. This is the inherent message that Confidence Man leaves listeners with at the end of the album: live your life as if you are perpetually at 3am. [4/5]
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