By Jaden Reynolds
Idles returns with their first Full-Length LP since 2021s solid but overall disappointing CRAWLER, and they did not hold back. I first got into the British punk band back in 2018 with the release of the loud and aggressive Joy as an Act of Resistance. This was my introduction to heavier music, and it really opened my ears to a sound I turned away from before. After this record though, IDLES seemed to be in a creative rut. While there was an amazing track here or there, the overall creativity was lacking. With TANGK the band gives us a mixed bag between new creative sounds and the same old sound they haven’t changed since the start.
In the past, IDLES has delt with extremely aggressive and even violent subject matter in their lyrics. Lines like “Concrete to leather” from “Never fight a man with a perm” have defined the group through their career. With TANGK, the band has set out to make a punk album all about love. While I know that sounds crazy for a punk band, I believe that they’ve done it very well. The songwriting is a strong point of the album and the passion Talbot has for these tracks’ seeps through every instrumental. A personal favorite of my comes from the second single “Grace” where Talbot says, “No God, No King, I said love is the thing.”
The singles all had a different feeling which I didn’t expect. There is no true consistency between the three and I didn’t know what to think going into the record. “DANCER” featuring LCD Soundsystem was the opening single for the record and a damn good one at that. It punches you in the face with a loose bass line that stays consistent through almost the entire track, only to slap you in the face AGAIN with the hardest chorus of the year so far. While I do love this single, I wish I felt the LCD Soundsystem feature more. It feels like IDLES is just doing their thing and if it wasn’t labeled, I wouldn’t have been able to tell he helped with the track. It was a little disappointing, but it’s still a killer first single.
The second single, “Grace”, was a surprising departure from the first singles sound. A softer cut, that focuses more on Talbot’s vocals rather than the instrumental. On first listen I wasn’t a big fan of it but over time it grew heavily on me. The music video is my favorite part of this track though, having lead singer of Coldplay, Chris Martin, recreate the famous “Yellow” video with a deepfake.
TANGK is the softer side of IDLES that the world needed to see. The more intimatemoments on CRAWLER were some of my favorites on the record and IDLES has decided to dive headfirst in this direction. For production, IDLES enlisted legendary Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich. The band does not shy away from this, going full Radiohead on many tracks. This was an unexpected turn for the band as just 6 years ago, they were a pure punk band. This creative exploration leaves longtime fans split on the record.
The front half of the record is some of my favorite music released this year. They bring their classic energy and mix it with a sincerity we haven’t seen from the band. It’s the perfect storm created for old and new fans alike. Sadly, I believe the second half of the record falls off HARD. There isn’t that same energy and love put into the last half in my opinion and feels like a they just wanted to make a Radiohead record. While it works to their advantage at the start, by the end, it felt like they lost all inspiration. I see what they were going for, but they wore their influences on their sleeve a little too much.
Overall, TANGK was a much-needed change of pace. Over their past few releases, it’s felt like IDLES lost a bit of their spark that made them so incredible in the past. The front half of this record re-ignited my love for the band. The second half though, continued to disappoint me the same way their past couple releases have. All being said, TANGK was a massive step in the right direction that leaves me excited to see what’s next.
Favorite Tracks: Dancer, Grace
Least Favorite: POP POP POP
Rated Six out of Ten