IDLES, one of the busiest punk bands on the planet, have announced a brand new album, titled TANGK. The record boasts 11 tracks, one of which has dropped today. It’s called ‘Dancer’, and features two members of LCD Soundsystem – James Murphy and Nancy Whang – on backup vocal duties.
‘Dancer’ also comes with a clip, featuring the band in mock-ABBA mode, white suits and all. In it, they strut towards the camera while the pounding music unfurls around them. The camera cuts back to a janitor blasting the track through their headphones while they get through a particularly menial shift.
IDLES – ‘Dancer’
According to the band, the album titled is pronounced “tank”, and is a reference to the trademark guitar sound of the band, that thunking, almost mechanical rhythm that they’ve made their signature since they first exploded onto the scene.
As evidenced by the ‘Dancer’ video, IDLES have entered their disco era – albeit with a great deal of sweat, horror, and aggression laced with something that looks a little like love, if you squint at it sideways.
Those with keen eyes will notice that one of the tracks on the record is titled, simply, ‘Hall & Oates.’ That’s par for the course for a band that have long combined humorous wordplay with frenetic political activism – can’t wait to hear what that one in particular sounds like.
Joe Talbot of IDLES has this to say about the album: “TANGK. I needed love. So I made it. I 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.”
TANGK, the new album by IDLES, is out on Friday, 16th February through Partisan Records / Liberator Music.
Further Reading
IDLES Review – Shouty Catharsis At Sold Out Melbourne Show
The 2023 Grammy Award Nominations Have Been Announced
Nigel Godrich Is Reviving His Legendary ‘From The Basement’ Music Series With IDLES & More
