Wikipedia

Tangk

Tangk is the fifth studio album by the British rock band Idles, released on 16 February 2024 through Partisan Records. It was produced by Nigel Godrich, Kenny Beats and the Idles member Mark Bowen.[1] It was promoted with the singles "Dancer", "Grace" and "Gift Horse", and received acclaim from critics.

Tangk
A cloud of smoke with a bright orange light shining from behind it against a black background; the title is shown in white text above
Studio album by
Idles
Released16 February 2024 (2024-02-16)
Genre
Length40:06
LabelPartisan
Producer
Idles chronology
Crawler
(2021) 		Tangk
(2024)
Singles from Tangk
  1. "Dancer"
    Released: 18 October 2023
  2. "Grace"
    Released: 6 December 2023
  3. "Gift Horse"
    Released: 16 January 2024

Tangk is nominated at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Rock Album.[2]

Background and recording

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The vocalist, Joe Talbot, said that he "needed love" so he "made it. [He] gave love out to the world and it feels like magic. This is our album of gratitude and power. All love songs. All is love."[1] Talbot said that he wanted to "make people dance" and "feel the love that [he] need[s] in life", as well as wanting to make the music "infectious in a way that makes people feel, not think" and be "part of something electric again".[3] It was named Tangk, a onomatopoeiac word coined to describe "the lashing way the band imagined the guitars sounding, that has grown into a sigil for living in love".[4]

Tangk was Idles' first work with a major producer, Nigel Godrich, who is known for his work with Radiohead. The band members saw Godrich as among "the upper echelon" and had assumed they would never be able to create something of his calibre. However, Bowen said: "What we learned is that it's not that difficult to attain if you put work into it. We learned that there are no geniuses."[5] Bowen said Godrich taught him how to use tape loops, distortion and delay in new ways to create textures.[5] James Murphy and Nancy Whang of LCD Soundsystem contributed additional vocals on "Dancer".[6]

Release

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The album was announced following the band's surprise show at the Village Underground in London on 17 October 2023.[7] It was promoted with the singles "Dancer",[3] "Grace"[8] and "Gift Horse".[9] The Tangk world tour started on 29 February 2024 in Porto, and will end on 7 December 2024 at the O2 Apollo Manchester, England.[10]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic78/100[11]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [12]
Classic Rock     [13]
Mojo     [14]
Pitchfork6.7/10[15]
Record Collector     [16]
The Skinny     [17]
Slant Magazine     [18]
Uncut8/10[19]

Tangk has a score of 78 out of 100 on the review aggregator Metacritic, based on 25 critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception.[11] Uncut stated that "Tangk is more about diverse, swooning sonic details that support troubled singer Joe Talbot's redemption",[19] while Classic Rock felt that "despite its subject matter, the Bristol tykes are still sonically and vocally as visceral as ever".[13] Mojo's Andrew Perry concluded that the album is "still hardly for the faint-hearted pop-picker, but it categorically repositions its makers as contenders in the biggest arena, as tuneful, approachable geezers capable of love, and sharing it with the world".[14]

Jamie Wilde of The Skinny summarised the album as "a raucous expression of love" as well as "raw, vulnerable and inimitably Idles".[17] Record Collector's Elizabeth Aubrey wrote that Tangk "may bring us a more compassionate, empathetic version of the band who seem to be trying to find something that resembles peace after years of tumult" but that "they still haven't quite lost their punk spirit".[16]

Nick Seip of Slant Magazine stated that "those familiar with Idles's past work may be surprised to find much of their characteristic righteous anger missing here" and their "slower songs struggle to command such attention" but "on a technical level, Tangk underpins its more personal and emotional lyrics with rich, layered arrangements".[18] Pitchfork's Arielle Gordon wrote that "Idles seem poised to let down their ironclad armor and reveal a far more interesting and nuanced band, just as soon as Talbot is ready to relinquish his stubborn and self-defeating grasp".[15]

Year-end lists

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Select year-end rankings for Tangk
Publication/critic Accolade Rank Ref.
MOJO 75 Best Albums of 2024 51 [20]
Rough Trade UK Albums of the Year 2024 6 [21]
Uncut 80 Best Albums of 2024 61 [22]

Track listing

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All lyrics are written by Joseph Talbot; all music is composed by Jonathan Beavis, Mark Bowen, Adam Devonshire, Lee Kiernan, and Joseph Talbot.

Tangk track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Idea 01"3:38
2."Gift Horse"4:09
3."Pop Pop Pop"4:16
4."Roy"4:09
5."A Gospel"3:45
6."Dancer"3:09
7."Grace"3:53
8."Hall & Oates"2:23
9."Jungle"4:11
10."Gratitude"3:41
11."Monolith"2:52
Total length:40:06

Personnel

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Idles

  • Jon Beavis – drums, backing vocals
  • Mark Bowen – lead guitar, electronics, keyboards, programming, design, backing vocals, production
  • Adam Devonshire – bass guitar, backing vocals
  • Lee Kiernan – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
  • Joe Talbot – lead vocals, artwork, design

Additional musicians

  • Colin Webster – saxophone
  • Aaron Paris – strings, string arrangement
  • James Murphy – additional vocals ("Dancer")
  • Nancy Whang – additional vocals ("Dancer")

Technical

Visuals

  • Joshua Hughes-Games – artwork, design
  • Aris Chatman – centerfold photography
  • Tom Ham - lyric + photo book, 'Dancer' and 'Hall & Oates' Photography
  • Cassidy Rose Hill – costume design

Charts

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Chart performance for Tangk
Chart (2024) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[23] 18
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[24] 2
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[25] 11
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[26] 13
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[27] 2
Hungarian Physical Albums (MAHASZ)[28] 36
Irish Albums (OCC)[29] 7
Italian Albums (FIMI)[30] 20
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[31] 10
Polish Albums (ZPAV)[32] 57
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[33] 20
Scottish Albums (OCC)[34] 1
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[35] 23
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[36] 8
UK Albums (OCC)[37] 1
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[38] 1
US Billboard 200[39] 132

References

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  1. ^ a b Minsker, Evan (18 October 2023). "Idles Announce New Album Tangk, Enlist LCD Soundsystem for New Song: Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  2. ^ https://www.billboard.com/music/awards/grammy-nominations-2025-full-list-1235823165/
  3. ^ a b Trendell, Andrew (16 October 2023). "Idles share 'Dancer' and tell us about "transgressive" new album Tangk". NME. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  4. ^ Carter, Daisy (18 October 2023). "Idles announce news of fifth album Tangk". DIY. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  5. ^ a b Farber, Jim (13 February 2024). "The return of Idles: 'I don't have to hide behind violence any more'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  6. ^ "IDLES announce new album, share LCD Soundsystem collaboration "Dancer"". The FADER. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  7. ^ Carter, Emily (18 October 2023). "Idles announce fifth album Tangk, release new single featuring LCD Soundsystem". Kerrang!. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  8. ^ DeVille, Chris (6 December 2023). "Idles – "Grace"". Stereogum. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  9. ^ Pilley, Max (15 January 2024). "Idles share raucous new single 'Gift Horse'". NME. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
  10. ^ Strauss, Matthew (29 November 2023). "Idles Add 2024 Tour Dates". Pitchfork. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  11. ^ a b "Tangk by Idles Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  12. ^ Martin, Liam (16 February 2024). "Idles – Tangk Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
  13. ^ a b "Idles – Tangk". Classic Rock. March 2024. p. 81.
  14. ^ a b Perry, Andrew (13 February 2024). "Idles Tangk Review: Bristol post punks wage heavy peace on fifth album". Mojo. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  15. ^ a b Gordon, Arielle (16 February 2024). "Idles: Tangk Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  16. ^ a b Aubrey, Elizabeth (29 January 2024). "Tangk | Idles". Record Collector. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  17. ^ a b Wilde, Jamie (12 February 2024). "Idles – Tangk album review". The Skinny. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  18. ^ a b Seip, Nick (11 February 2024). "Idles Tangk Review: A Delicate Balance of Sound and Sentiment". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  19. ^ a b "Idles – Tangk". Uncut. February 2024. p. 28.
  20. ^ "MOJO's 75 Best Albums of 2024". albumoftheyear.org. 11 November 2024. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  21. ^ "Albums of the Year 2024". roughtrade.com. 19 November 2024. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  22. ^ Pearis, Bill (8 November 2024). "List Season comes early with Uncut's Top 80 Albums of 2024". brooklynvegan.com. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  23. ^ "ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. 26 February 2024. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  24. ^ "Ultratop.be – Idles – Tangk" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  25. ^ "Ultratop.be – Idles – Tangk" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  26. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Idles – Tangk" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  27. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Idles – Tangk" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  28. ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista (fizikai hanghordozók) – 2024. 8. hét". MAHASZ. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  29. ^ "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  30. ^ "Album – Classifica settimanale WK 8 (dal 16.02.2024 al 22.02.2024)" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  31. ^ "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 26 February 2024. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  32. ^ "OLiS - oficjalna lista sprzedaży - albumy" (in Polish). OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Note: Change the date to 16.02.2024–22.02.2024 under "zmień zakres od–do:". Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  33. ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Idles – Tangk". Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  34. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  35. ^ "Top 100 Albums Weekly". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
  36. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Idles – Tangk". Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  37. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  38. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  39. ^ "Idles Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
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