IDLES
TANGK
PARTISAN
On their fifth effort, TANGK, the hooligan provocateurs and punk-inspired British rockers IDLES entrust their signature blend of brash, energetic vocals and rhythms and hints of vulnerability and love to legendary producers Kenny Beats (who also assisted the band on 2021’s Crawler) and Nigel Godrich, as well as the band’s own Mark Bowen. The result is their most transformative record to date, while the touch of amour pairs well with its February 16 release date. But it begs the question: Is it still punk?
A controversial and rowdy bunch (they were accused of appropriating working-class voice, among other criticisms, in 2020), IDLES are self-proclaimed leftists who share their admiration for bell hooks in interviews and seek to make, according to frontman Joe Talbot, aggressive music that “challenge[s]... the audience to dance—and to unthink, as we do on stage.” They bring to their music and live shows what feminist writer Hélène Cixous defines as jouissance, an experience that ruptures the physical, mental, and spiritual—a loss of selfhood.
Largely influenced by Bowen and Talbot becoming fathers,TANGK sees the group soften, mature, self-reflect, and move away from the near-nonstop high energy of past projects. Talbot utilizes an improvisational, stream-of-consciousness approach to lyrics, giving the album a sense of spontaneity, while the production team grounds the music with beautifully engineered sonic textures and hypnotic kraut-rock-like passages. And, of course, the rest of the band sculpts intoxicating rhythms and melodies that keep the listener entranced.
The result is an electrifying and engrossing experience wherein producer Godrich brilliantly encapsulates the band’s frantic live energy. At the same time, there’s this riveting touch of vulnerability found in TANGK, uncommon for a punk-inspired political band. It’s a welcoming contrast to their signature brashness; however, this jarring softness still feels punk. Opener “IDEA 01” is soft, rebellious, and, even Radiohead-esque, reminiscent of their King of Limbs track “Bloom”—perhaps unsurprising, given Godrich’s history with the band. Yet this new iteration of the group’s still sounds very much feels like the IDLES of Brutalism and Joy as an Act of Resistance.
And this touch of vulnerability can be found throughout the record, whether it be from Talbot's gentle singing on “Grace” or “Monolith” or the usage of the word “love” more times than I can count in his lyrics. The band’s aggression is a bit more grounded with this unexpected softness—they still rail against oppression and hit manic explosiveness in songs like “Gift Horse” and “Hall & Oates,” but at this point in their career they’ve realized that gentleness plays a crucial role in achieving systematic change—as well as in their music.
