Confidence Man “TILT” Album Review

Tilt

Confidence Man

• Genre: Dance
• Release Date: 2022-04-01
• Explicitness: notExplicit
• Track Count: 12
• ℗ 2022 Amplifire Music

‘Tilt’ isn’t quite so sure of itself. Like trying to host the party of the year while still on a comedown, it’s not quite as able to keep the momentum going but still has plenty of moments to get down to. Janet Planet’s Valley Girl schtick was front and centre to Confidence Man’s fun. The icing on the fluorescent cake. Here she pivots closer to house diva.

On Tilt, which also happens to be the group’s finally-out sophomore release, they have switched up their sound significantly, embracing the glossy absurdity of ’90s dance-pop in all its glory. Think of shiny plastic synths, Max Martin-style choruses, and the kind of drum machines that are dated in the most beautiful of ways.

It’s a logical pivot for a group like Confidence Man to make, but the degree to which they embrace the role is what’s most surprising. Tilt is still a ridiculously fun record with a distinct identity, proving that the group can still get listeners to euphoric carefree highs through different means.

Album Cover Artwork

A pretty colorful choice of cover art. It comes off as simple in one glance, but a bit chaotic with a fixed gaze. It appears to want to capture many things at the same time and does so in a playful yet complex manner.

Two different people are doing different things, one checking herself out in mirror or striking a pose for the cam, while the other person seems to be in a phone conversation with someone dear, judging from body language.

The project also imitates its cover art, as it gives off the same energy in its tracks, capturing different things and topics from different angles, so that the picture makes sense even when you Tilt.

Tracks and Features

Right off the bat, opener “Woman” pivots directly from a spoken-word monologue into full Crystal Waters-styled house-pop, full of fat bass synths and chopped-up vocal samples. Janet Planet has never been the most technically proficient of singers, but even with her limitations on “Woman”, she still plays the part exceptionally well.

Even better is the choir-led “Feels Like a Different Thing”, which uses the most generic lyrics about moving your body to create a grand pop moment that’s more about attitude and release than deep thematic intention.

The call-and-response lyrics of “What I Like” (“All the girls say WOO! / All the boys say AHH!”) are the kind of thing that would be perfect in a live concert setting. The winking nod to Deee-Lite in the “Trumpet Song” production is the kind of insider acknowledgment that only adds to your enjoyment of the song (should you catch the reference).

On “Luvin U Is Easy”, we’re catapulted into orbit and slowly brought back down to Earth by the beat. It’s a track that feels quite sincere for Confidence Man as Janet describes feelings of feeling alone when this person isn’t around. The chorus has a magnetic flow to it, each lyric flowing so seamlessly and the groove tying everything together.

“Push It Up” sounds like the group trying to become the world’s first Ace of Base cover band, and the neon-accented effect is palpable. The locked groove of “Toy Boy” fails to grow into anything significant, while the pointed “Angry Girl” provides a different perspective to most average dance floor fodder.

Album Theme

Tilt is that fun album that explores different routes to euphoria. The album also feels like a call to action after two years that did nightlife no favours.

Production Credits

The album is produced by none other than Confidence Man, each member contributing.

Stream