Crooked Colours - Langata (LP)

In May 2019, Perth trio Crooked Colours stepped up with their second studio album, Langata, on Sweat It Out, and it still hits like a cool sea breeze after a scorcher. Phil Slabber, Leon De Baughn and Liam Merrett-Park have always been good at threading the needle between club propulsion and indie warmth, and this record finds them sharpening that mix until it’s almost tactile. The sound palette is lean and luminous, all low-slung bass, glassy synths and guitar motifs that curl around Slabber’s hushed vocal like smoke.

The singles set the tone early. Do It Like You moves with that late-night pulse Crooked Colours do so well, but there is a looseness in the percussion and a sly guitar flicker that gives it a human heartbeat. Hold On plants a sturdier kick under a wistful melody, the kind of track that teases euphoria rather than forcing it. I’ll Be There leans into pop instincts without losing the trio’s shadowy edges, a reminder that this band can write hooks that linger long after the lights come up.

Never Dance Alone is the big swing, and it lands. Bringing in Ladyhawke is a neat bit of trans-Tasman chemistry. Her vocal lifts the chorus into bright air while Slabber keeps the verses grounded and smoky. It feels collaborative in the real sense, not just a name on a feature line. The production leaves space for every element to matter, from the rubbery bass movement to the crisp top end that keeps the groove light on its feet. It is the song that wins over a sceptical mate at a house party, then follows them onto the train ride home.

Elsewhere the trio let their textures breathe. I C Light turns down the tempo and glows from within, a lesson in restraint that shows how much mileage they get from patience and negative space. Across the record you can hear the three-piece discipline at work. No part fights for attention. Guitar phrases are short and purposeful, synths slip in and out like tides, and the rhythm programming favours feel over fireworks. It is self-produced dance music that trusts its own silhouette.

What makes Langata stick is how it balances movement and mood. Plenty of Australian electronic acts have nailed the sunset-to-nightfall arc over the last decade, but Crooked Colours bring a dusty indie croon that separates them from the shiny end of festival house. You can slide these songs between Rüfüs Du Sol and Hayden James on a playlist and they will play nice, yet the trio’s fingerprints stay obvious. The drum programming has a spring to it, bass lines hug close to the vocal, and the whole thing avoids bloat. There is no rush to the drop. The drop arrives because it feels right.

Spin this on Langata vinyl and the low end breathes in a way that suits the writing. Those sub lines sit fuller, the percussion finds a little extra snap, and the guitar textures get that faint analogue halo that flatters them. If you are crate digging for Crooked Colours vinyl, this is a satisfying pull, both as a front-to-back listen and as a stack of go-to cuts for the home system. It is the kind of record you could buy Crooked Colours records online for, then find yourself eyeing the rest of the catalogue because the pressings earn their keep. Crooked Colours albums on vinyl tend to reward repeat plays, and this one is no exception.

Five years on, Langata feels like a confident middle chapter, not just a sequel to Vera. The trio sound settled in their lane without being static, careful with their choices, generous with earworms. If you live near a Melbourne record store, it is the perfect in-store spin, warm and rhythmic without demanding attention, and then, when it has it, more interesting than you expected. For anyone building a collection of vinyl records Australia wide, Langata is a tidy addition. It serves a house gathering, a late solo wander around the block, or a quiet Sunday with the speakers turned just loud enough to feel the kick drum. That versatility is the point. Crooked Colours make electronic music for people who also love songs, and Langata is where that balance clicks into focus.