Despite his oh-so serious political statements and guttural roars, there’s always been an element of high-camp to Joe Talbot’s scratchy vocals, so much so that it’d be easy to dismiss Idles as panto punks (something that Talbot’s tendency to shout aspirational phrases in the tones of a carnival barker doesn’t help). For every bellow of ‘fuck the king’ on stage, you half-expect the crowd to shout ‘he’s behind you’ in response.

But where can Bristol’s cartoon anarchist punk peddlers go five albums into their career? The answer is Tangk, a gesture towards a smoother, rockier sound that finds Talbot largely eschewing politics in favour of love, friendship and joy as an act of radicalism (with a hint of anti-monarchism thrown in for old time’s sake).

We gave Tangk four stars in our review, calling it a ‘pure thrill ride of a record, boasting sonic smarts, songwriterly nuance and melodic brawn.’ Read our full review. But what did everyone else think? To give you the lay of the critical land, here’s our round-up of what every music publication made of Idles latest noise machine.

Pitchfork 

6.7/10

‘Talbot could stand to take a note from another one of his inspirations for the record, Aesop’s fable of The North Wind and The Sun. Rather than beating listeners into submission, like Aesop’s personified Wind, Idles works best when the band builds radiant warmth around Talbot’s softer vocals. There’s a subtlety to writing about love that Talbot misses on this record—it’s a topic that’s often best gestured at, rather than bossed around.’
(Words: Arielle Gordon)
Read Pitchfork’s full review. 

The Guardian

4/5

‘It really shouldn’t be a surprise that a band who proved themselves good at one thing turn out to be good at other things as well. But Tangk does feel like a surprising album, which perhaps says something about the way one’s expectations have been narrowed in a music world increasingly dominated by tightly curated stay-in-your-lane playlists and algorithms programmed to second-guess your tastes by serving you up more of the same. Or perhaps it says something about underestimating Idles themselves, who in fairness, always seemed as likely to collapse under the weight of the contradictions at their centre as to develop; making muscular, aggressive music about “impotent male rage”, as Talbot put it, is a tough balancing act, liable to tip over, open to misinterpretation. Not everything on Tangk works, but the vast majority of it does, with an urgency that draws you into its message of positivity: reason enough to break out the freudenfreude.’
(Words: Alexis Petridis)
Read The Guardian’s full review.

Paste

6.7/10

‘Idles have always had their heart in the right place. 2022’s Crawler eschewed their overt politics for a more personal statement. It’s an album about addiction, sobriety, their bond as a band and their relationship with fans. Crawler, especially, reads like a love album — a demonstration of the hard work and self-reflection required to be the most loving version of yourself. Talbot’s integrity could be felt on every beat. But Tangk boils love down so much it’s not clear if there’s anything there at all.’
(Words: Andy Steiner)
Read Paste’s full review. 

Kerrang!

4/5

‘Joe Talbot doesn’t so much wear his heart on his sleeve as emblazon it all over his body. Whether sharing his political views – against the Tories and prejudice, pro-refugees and community – or dealing with matters as personal as his late mother and the loss of a child, his radical honesty has defined Idles at least as much as their rabble-rousing post-punk sound. Now, this most self-aware band have refined and redefined both these elements on what may be their most important album since 2018’s breakthrough Joy As An Act Of Resistance.’
(Words: Olly Thomas)
Read Kerrang!’s full review. 

Rolling Stone 

N/A 

‘Although Idles hold back a little more than usual musically, leaning more into moody synths and shadowy guitar textures than previously, they still usually often build to big anthemic choruses. On “Gift Horse,” Talbot praises a horse or a lover or maybe just a cool guy, singing, “Look at him goooo,” with sweeping enthusiasm. Talbot, who previously shout-rapped most of his lyrics, even tries singing more, howling, “Baby, baby, baby, I’m a smart man, but I’m dumb for you,” on “Roy,” which owes debts musically to plinking doo-wop guitar and the irony of LCD Soundsystem. (That group’s James Murphy and Nancy Whang add vocals to the disco-punk rave-up “Dancer” on which Talbot euphorically shouts, “Dahncin’ hip to hip, dahncin’ cheek to cheek” as Murphy and Whang support him with angelic rounds of “Collide us as we work it out.”)’
(Words: Kory Grow)
Read Rolling Stone’s full review. 

Clash 

8/10

‘Not that the band’s fifth album is an exercise in naval gazing. Oh no, there’s still plenty of fire and fun contained. Singles “Dancer” and “Gift Horse” – the former featuring LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy – easily get your fists in the air and hips shaking. Adam “Dev” Devonshire’s bass, never a slouch of previous records, reaches new levels of utter bowel-shaking filth. All in all, Idles have taken that initial spirit that caught our imaginations and has elevated it to impressive new heights.’
(Words: Sam Walker-Smart)
Read Clash’s full review. 

NME

4/5

‘The gossamer purity of “Grace” sees Talbot tenderly vow that there’s “No god, no king, I said, love is the ‘fing”. The motif and mantra is the driving force on Tangk, and the record ends not on a scream but on the peaceful and jazzy full stop of “Monolith” as the frontman serenely concludes: “I found myself my own king, I took his crown, I took his rings”. Removing our fat-fingered monarch’s jewels isn’t as much a “fuck you” to the establishment here as realising that without self-worth and a little gratitude, you’re nothing. Anger is an energy, but love is the answer, they pose.’
(Words: Andrew Trendell)
Read NME’s full review. 

Tangk is out now on Partisan Records; Idles are on tour throughout 2024; main picture: Daniel Topete.