Sydney’s Kid Confucius are back, armed with a new sound and their third album The Let Go. Earlier this year I was lucky enough to catch Kid Confucius live at one of their many summer festival shows. They played as the sun was slowly disappearing and the festival heads were relaxing before the onslaught of the headline acts. It was the perfect sound for that time of the day and I believe I wasn’t the only new fan the band gained as a result of that performance. Hence why I was a little bit apprehensive after hearing they had taken a different direction with the sound of the new album.

Right from the start of this record it’s comforting to hear that Rob Hezkial’s vocal is still as soulful as it has ever been, and the new direction in sound for the band is apparent yet isn’t exactly a punch in the face. The new sound is definitely more guitar driven than on their previous albums. Apparently they took the band apart, started again with guitars as the base instrument for the songs and built them up from there, which is what has given them that new groove. The first two cuts off the album Good Luck and Darling, I Need Ya are in my opinion two of its stronger songs, showcasing Kid C’s musical strength. As a band they really are tight, and this can be heard best in songs like Caroline and Morning J. The new sound becomes clearer during Big Black Cloud and the title track The Let Go, which has an almost Faith No More-esqe quality to it. The record as a whole is punchy and very radio friendly, clocking in at around forty minutes in total for twelve songs; maybe a little too short, but it’s always good to be left wanting more.

One of the things I most loved about this band was that they seemed to fill a void in the Sydney music scene by giving us a beautiful blend of hip hop, soul and jazz. I fear after listening to the new album they may have taken away the elements that set them apart in the first place. The hip hop moments seem to have disappeared as have the strong sounds of the horn section. Any band who has a horn section should be using them to full effect, but this album sees the horns and guitars so well produced they blend into each other, detracting from that brilliant resource of sound they have. Overall I really enjoyed this album and it’ll continue to get play in my household. However, I think I may miss the old sound of Kid C…. just a tiny bit. But this is definitely worth a spin.