Label: CHAOS / Polydor / I OH YOU
Released: 18th October 2024
Ascending into mainstream popularity while diving deeper into rave culture, Confidence Man’s third album, ‘3AM (LA LA LA)’, is a pulsating journey through party highs, leaving you both exhilarated and reborn. While the average BPM is nearly double that of 2022’s TILT, this shift feels like a natural progression for the group. Since moving to London, they’ve been hammering the UK dance scene with remix EPs, DJ collabs, and club compilations – but this album marks a definitive creative evolution for the four-piece.
Lead single ‘I CAN’T LOSE YOU’ set the tone with a cheeky video featuring a naked helicopter ride over London, capturing the band’s reckless energy; tracks like ‘SO WHAT’ throw you straight into the chaos of a packed tent, with Janet Planet riding the shoulders of Sugar Bones in a scene that practically drips with sweat. But the album soon veers into darker territory: ‘BREAKBEAT’ delivers an unrelenting rhythm that dives headfirst into the abyss, while ‘SICKO’ throws in a grungy, pill-popping vibe that’s equally hypnotic and unsettling.
The chemistry between the front-duo is electric on ‘REAL MOVE TOUCH,’ a back-and-forth effort elevated by the reggae-infused touch of Sweetie Irie. Elsewhere, ‘FAR OUT’ pulls listeners into a heady, psychedelic swirl of wobbly synths and introspective musings, while ‘WRONG IDEA’ revels in its lost-in-the-session vibe. “I don’t even know where I am anymore,” Janet admits, which, after 10 tracks of relentless intensity, feels entirely appropriate.
‘3AM (LA LA LA)’ isn’t aiming for lyrical depth, but instead holds your hand from the initial excitement for a night out through to those final moments before the lights come on, with momentous beats injecting unfiltered shots of adrenaline (or something stronger) straight into your bloodstream, fuelling the party this band have long been living. The songs hit hard, the attitude is fierce, and the energy is addictive. Ridiculous and indulgent, yet empowering and liberating — Confidence Man have crafted another absurdly fun ride that capitalises on their reinvented attitude, and their reign over the dancefloor has only just begun.
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