Crooked Colours - Tomorrows (LP)

Crooked Colours have always felt like the bridge between warehouse haze and coastal dusk, the kind of trio that can soundtrack a sunrise drive out of Perth just as easily as a packed room at Splendour in the Grass. Tomorrows, their third album and a 2022 release on Sweat It Out, lands right in that sweet spot. It is sleek without losing its pulse, intimate yet primed for a dancefloor, and very clearly the work of a band that knows exactly how to make a room move.

The bones of Crooked Colours are the same as ever. Philip Slabber’s airy vocal lines glide over Leon De Baughn’s synth designs and Liam Merrett‑Park’s rhythmic instincts, with the three of them locking into a pocket that blurs live and electronic in a way that feels lived in. You get crisp drum programming stitched to live hits, guitar motifs that flicker like neon, and bass that treads the fine line between warm and stern. They have always produced their own material, and Tomorrows shows off that self‑sufficiency with a quiet confidence. Nothing feels overstuffed. They know when to let a pad breathe, when to tuck a vocal harmony in the background, and when to let a snare snap cut through like a flash of light.

The mood that runs through the record leans nocturnal, the kind of glow you get a few hours after the main stage when the crowd thins and you can finally hear your own thoughts. The single No Sleep is an easy entry point. It is nimble and hooky, built around a vocal that never overplays its hand, with percussion that nudges rather than shoves. The production detail is where it really sparks. Little reverses, quick filters, a synth that swells a fraction of a second later than you expect, all that good headphone candy that keeps you replaying sections to catch the tricks. It is the sort of track that ties the album to their earlier hits while nudging the sound forward.

What works across Tomorrows is pacing. They ease between mid‑tempo shufflers and more urgent cuts without losing the throughline. When they push the energy up, you still hear space between the parts, and when they drop back, the groove stays intact. Slabber’s voice is a big part of that continuity. He never belts for effect, he threads melodies through the production, and that restraint suits these songs. There are moments where you can picture the lights coming up on a festival set, hi‑hats ticking, a synth arpeggio crawling upwards, and the crowd holding that last collective breath before the kick comes back. The record seems built for that exchange.

Context helps, too. This is a band that came up on triple j, toured relentlessly, and earned their spot alongside the country’s best electronic exports. You can hear the road in these songs. Breaks land where you imagine a sea of hands, drops arrive with just enough surprise to make you grin. Yet Tomorrows also rewards a quiet listen. On vinyl, especially, the low end feels rounder and the stereo field blossoms, which is why Tomorrows vinyl is a tempting pick if you are crate‑digging in a Melbourne record store or browsing vinyl records Australia wide. Crooked Colours vinyl tends to sell on the strength of that blend of polish and warmth, and this LP fits that profile.

If you have followed them since Vera and Langata, you will catch the continuity in tone and the steps forward in sound design. The synth palette has matured, the drum programming is more conversational, and the arrangements feel more patient. There is less chase for an instant hit and more emphasis on flow. That makes Tomorrows a proper album listen, not just a run of singles stitched together. It rolls like a set, one idea feeding the next.

For collectors or fans who have just discovered the trio, this is an easy recommendation. It is the kind of record you put on to set a mood, then realise you are leaning in to pick out tiny production details, then notice your foot has been tapping for twenty minutes. If you are looking to buy Crooked Colours records online, this sits neatly alongside their earlier work, and it deserves a spot next to other Crooked Colours albums on vinyl. The band’s knack for melding club textures with indie‑leaning melodies has real staying power, and Tomorrows captures that in a way that feels fresh even after repeated spins.

Put simply, Tomorrows is Crooked Colours doing what they do best, just a little sharper and a little deeper. It is a late‑night drive of a record with just enough streetlight to guide you home.