Album Review: With Confidence 'Love and Loathing'

With Confidence has had a rough year. The Aussie trio fought disaster to the extreme – with line-up changes, a self-imposed hiatus, and bounds of accusations against a now ex-member.

But this, their sophomore album, betrays nothing of their turbulent year. With Confidence has come back fighting, with their dance-until-you-cry brand of alternative rock again breathing fresh air into a genre that began stagnating five years ago.

Love and Loathing above all else exudes maturity. In the year-or-so between their debut Better Weather being unleashed, With Confidence has honed its craft and produced tracks light years ahead.

Though tracks like Icarus, which show their love for bands like Sum-41 through and through, are reminiscent of their earlier work, their lyrics demonstrate growth.

Moving Boxes and Pâquerette (Without Me) are the two best examples – moving away from the light and airy pop rock they established with their debut. The harmonies in the latter are stunning – giving depth to lyrics illustrating young love and loss.

And yes, this is a topic which has been overdone, but With Confidence’s pseudo-acoustic track expertly dodges dangerous cliches.

Moving Boxes betrays their love for Blink-182 in a big way, but the gritty track is clearly the best of the album.

That’s not to say there aren’t a few filler tracks on Love and Loathing. Sing to Me, Spinning, and Better didn’t make much of an impression – each blending into the previous track in a way that can’t have been intentional.

But the boys of With Confidence are young, and already thriving in a massively over saturated genre. And if the lyrics of this album don’t show maturity enough, the way they reacted to accusations made against a then-member of the band does.