'3AM (LA LA LA)': An Atmospheric Exploration Of Confidence Man

The eclectic electro-pop Aussie duo Confidence Man have released their highly anticipated third album ‘3AM (LA LA LA)’, showcasing the pure madness and unique talent this sensational group have become. 

Janet Planet, Sugar Bones, Reggie Goodchild, and Clarence McGuffie have been breaking dance music boundaries from their 2018 debut album ‘Confident Music for Confident People’, and they have had music lovers addicted to their infectious sounds and hypnotising live shows since.

‘3AM (LA LA LA)’ is a hedonistic record, embodying the lifestyle and personal magnetism that categorises Confidence Man’s sounds of past and present beautifully. Listeners of this album will feel similar emotions to those felt on ‘Holiday’, a poignant track from the band’s sophomore album ‘Tilt’, generating a sense of nostalgia which is a recurring theme through this record with its 90s and 00s dance/rave influences. A track from ‘3AM (LA LA LA)’ which is insanely adept in bridging the gap between their records is ‘SO WHAT’ - a track we first saw from their infamous Glastonbury Festival set where Janet Planet performed the entire song on Sugar Bones’ shoulders in the crowd.

This album dives into the deep end of the ConMan pool with ‘WHO KNOWS WHAT YOU’LL FIND?’. The group take us through a range of head bopping, 90s inspired beats, blending them with Janet’s well-loved spoken word vocals as she explains about moving to London and confronting the city’s nightlife.

A highlight of this album is the song ‘BREAKBEAT’, which embodies Confidence Man’s never-ending ability to create truly independent dance records. With hints of 90s club music alongside the vocal effects on Janet and Sugar’s vocals about having ‘‘a pill in my pocket and I really wanna drop it / But I’m not going to pop it ‘til I hear a breakbeat’’, the band create an out-of-body experience within a song. Like many other tracks on this album, you get transported to another planet full of the Confidence Man wackiness of making music at 3am - a talent that makes this band a revolutionary music act of recent years.

‘SICKO’ exposes Sugar Bones’ sensual vocals, making listeners feel like they are on the blissful comedown from the early morning rave we’ve had at the start of this record. However, ConMan’s collaboration with reggae DJ Sweetie Ire on ‘REAL MOVE TOUCH’ gets you dancing and bopping again in no time. The organ feature is something that was perhaps not on a lot of listeners’ bingo cards for this album, but this element of the track heightens it to an unbelievable level where you just can’t help but ‘‘real move touch’’.

Confidence Man first started out as a joke, as they just liked making silly songs in their alter ego personalities. However, now they have reached unbelievable amounts of fame and admiration which is very well deserved for the Australian London based band. ‘JANET’ is a love letter between Janet and Sugar, and what feels like an ode to their ongoing 'situationship' - are they lovers or siblings?

‘3AM (LA LA LA)’ is an atmospheric record and an out of this world experience that only ConMan can create, with their afterhours electro-alternative musical talents.

Alice Mason

@alicemxson / @alicegoestogigs

Image: ‘3AM (LA LA LA)’ Official Album Cover