Confidence Man – TILT

Label: Heavenly Recordings
Released: 1st April 2022

After teasing with dance floor snacks in the intermittent period between a performance-driven debut and its more focused follow-up, Aussie band Confidence Man have exceeded expectations with a concentrated dose of rave magic in the form of ‘TILT’.

Obnoxious, arrogant and charmingly justified in its attitude, this twelve-track ecstasy pill conjures an immortal storm of relentless hype. From the glorious demands of opener ‘Woman’, Janet Planet basks in the attention she deserves, insisting: “Don’t call me the spark; I’m the fire and the flame.”

The maximalist wonder of a song that indeed ‘Feels Like A Different Thing’ unfolds addictive hooks delivered with choral sections that cause your internal itch to grow and fester, culminating in a huge release. This same tension and pay-off are felt on the lustful, pumping horns of ‘What I Like’, with the instrumental ‘Trumpet Song’ resurrecting the elongated filthy drop down the line.

Building another dimension upon the foundation of their first full-length, drips of Latin and French feed into a multi-dimensional sound, particularly on the closing six-minute adventure of ‘Relieve The Pressure’. One final celebration expresses unhinged and unlawful energy in its purest auditory form, subjecting listeners to one last blast of rhythm before softening its intense hold.

It is perhaps lead single ‘Holiday’ that best encompasses the ethos of ‘TILT’ and consequently Confidence Man; Janet Planet says that “holiday is a state of mind,” and, hand-in-hand with Sugar Bones, the otherworldly duo lead the charge towards death by dancing.

Heavily textured, exhilarating insanity manifests a sound that cannot be dated – just look at that artwork, for goodness sake. Every tune here would feel totally at home blaring by a hot poolside or in a dingy nightclub, so, however you enjoy your bangers, embrace the ‘TILT’.