Their fourth studio album, Hi Viz lands almost five and half years after 2012’s Pacifica. With a wait that long comes added pressure – although you wouldn’t know it from the quality of record the Sydney duo have dished up. The pressure has well and truly manufactured a diamond.
Frontman Justin Hamilton said recently that he was sick of writing songs in the traditional verse/chorus/verse/chorus fashion and went about writing in a way that made sense to him and bandmate Kim Moyes. The result is a heady album, with peaks and troughs throughout; complete with bangers to rival any previous Presets hit while also offering downbeat numbers.
It sounds something like a night out; it’s not all up, every now and then the record becomes subdued, but there’s always another huge track around the corner. Lead single ‘Downtown Shutdown’ is infectious and has a real community feel about it, due to the multiple voices in many parts.
There’s a myriad of featuring artists on this release including DZ Deathrays, Touch Sensitive and Jake Shears from Scissor Sisters. Two of the strongest contributions come from arguably Australia’s biggest exports right now, Alison Wonderland and DMA’s. Wonderland is more confident in using her vocals lately and it shows well on ‘Out of Your Mind’. DMA’s vocalist Tommy O’Dell croons on ‘Are You Here?’ to a backdrop of spotted unpredictable beats. It’s a juxtaposition of sound no one probably ever expected to hear.
Hi Viz is a triumphant album that pushes the envelope of what electronic dance music can be in a way only The Presets could achieve. Turns out good things really do come to those who wait.
8.5/10
