Tangk (2024) - IDLES

Since the release of their debut album (2017's 'Brutalism'), Bristol-based IDLES have steadily ascended the musical ranks with their defiant style of angry rock (but don't call it punk, they don't like that), culminating in a magnificent headline set at Glastonbury 2024. While they built their name on predominantly boot-stomping riot starters, over time the band have started to explore the quieter side of their capabilities. So much so that legendary producer/atmosphere master Nigel Godrich was brought in for their latest studio effort. Of this unexpected melding of minds, Godrich said "I see this band, I see them perform, and I see Joe who’s a star. And I thought it would be interesting to see how they would translate if he was a little bit more musical, if he sang more". The result is 'Tangk', the band's fifth album and by far their most accessible collection of songs to date. 

It begins with pure Godrich atmos on opening track 'IDEA 01'. Tribal drums and a skittering piano loop providing the perfect backdrop for Joe Talbot to bring his voice to the fore. We all know he can shout, but using his raspy, anguish-filled pipes for a purpose other than yelling things like "never fight a man with a perm!" is a much more interesting avenue to explore. With IDLES, their abilities have never been in question. You just began to wonder whether they were something of a one trick pony. With this first track alone, we are being shown that is not the case. Suddenly you see a world of possibilities with this band in the long-term. 

Of course, that doesn't mean that the energy of old isn't there. It is the core of who this band is and, if there was any doubt of that fact, look no further than track 2 of this album, 'Gift Horse'. It is a good old fashioned rock song and yet another worthy addition to their catalogue of headbangers.

However, from here things start to veer away from what you could possibly call "traditional" IDLES music. 'POP POP POP' sounds like something you might find on an Apex Twin record. Dark, moody, and quite brilliant, we're starting to see what this group can do when they start to branch out of pure rock n roll, which is a good thing. 'Roy' sounds like a man on the edge of sanity begging for his other half to give him another chance. Joe Talbot's vocals are never short of emotion, but the chorus of "Baby! Baby! Baby!" are on par with Brando's famous "Stella!" moment in 'A Streetcar Named Desire'. All of which is completely new ground for this group. 

'A Gospel' slows things down for what you could almost deem a ballad, as Talbot is all heart again. This flows straight into lead single and LCD Soundsystem collaboration, 'Dancer', which is probably their most dancefloor-friendly effort to date. It almost veers into Marc Bolan glam-rock territory, but Joe Talbots gruff proclamations of dancing cheek to cheek still sound fighty enough to assure that we never fully get there. It is almost the perfect encapsulation of where the band are these days. A great single. 

However, perhaps the most unexpected turn is next single and album highlight, 'Grace'. If you were at all familiar with the lead-up to this album, all of the marketing revolved around the phrase "Love is the Fing", which is a quote directly taken from the chorus of this song. After immersing themselves in Bell Hooks' seminal work 'All About Love', Talbot wanted a loving message to be at the core of the album, and it all comes to a head in this song. I mean, the video is a deep-fake of Coldplay's 'Yellow' so that should tell you how much we're going for the old heart strings here. "No crown. No king. I said love is the fing." Beautiful stuff. 

Don't relax too long though, because 'Hall and Oates' rips you out of any peace and love fantasies you might have been wading into. It's a decent track but pretty standard fare and feels like something of a 'shit, we better do something for fans of the old stuff' compromise. It's also the hardest song ever to mention the names of Daryl Hall and John Oates, so there's that. We ascend into superior rock for the next two tracks 'Jungle' and 'Gratitude'. The former is a stadium-sized piece and you can just imagine the kids, arms aloft, screaming "Save me from me!" for a good few summers to come. The latter is a monster track that must rank among one of the best IDLES songs ever made. It was a highlight as Glastonbury, bringing Joe Talbot himself to tears, proving once again that although he looks like he might kick your granny in the ribs, he really is a soppy old sod. 

The album goes out with 'Monolith' which veers once again into softer, moodier, territory - Nigel Godrich territory, essentially. It's a low-fi closer to the album, featuring a beautiful saxophone outro, and could easily find itself on a Radiohead LP, leaving you with the feeling of wanting to see what's next. Then that's it. 40 minutes of pop/punk pleasure which satisfies just about every urge you would want from an IDLES album in 2024. It is their most emotional, approachable, probably most enjoyable album so far and very much pushes the door open for an infinite realm of future possibilities. It is always a brave move to explore outside of what it was that made you successful in the first place. But here they have executed such a move to great effect and show themselves to be a fully-realised rock band. Where things go from here, who knows. But this sterling collection shows that wherever they go, it should be a thrilling ride. 

★★★★☆

JB.