The Tangent, the progressive/jazz-rock collective led by Andy
Tillison, are pleased to announce the release of their 12th studio
album ‘Songs From the Hard Shoulder’ on the 10th June 2022.
This album sees The Tangent focusing almost entirely on their long format songs
or "epics" with only one song being less than 16 minutes long.
Today, you can check out an edit of the album’s opening track and first single “The Changes (single edit)”:
Andy Tillison comments:
“The Changes was written in the depths of the first and strictest of the
Covid Lockdowns. During this strangest of times there was an emptiness in all
of our lives and this song explores my own feelings during that time. I began
to wonder whether the band would ever meet again, and more importantly, how
long it would be before I could see my family again. Some of the songs are
focused on the minutiae of being on tour with a band... not so much missing the
gigs, the stages and the playing, but missing the crazy little things like not
being able to find a hotel, being lost and the general camaraderie that is all
around when a band is out on the road. It’s important to say that this single
edit is just 5 minutes of what is a 17-minute song – and this only gives a hint
at what is there in the full version... which includes a standout Luke Machin
guitar solo of unbelievable quality which isn’t represented in this at all...”
Tracklisting:
1. The Changes
(17:06)
2. The GPS
Vultures (17:01)
3. The Lady Tied
To The Lamp Post (20:52)
4. Wasted Soul
(4:40)
5. In The Dead Of
Night (Bonus) (16:11)
The album is available now for pre-order as:
https://thetangent.lnk.to/SongsFromTheHardShoulder
With ‘Songs From the Hard Shoulder’, the band (who are celebrating their
20th year in the business) have audibly focused on the
compositional structure of this album which in the case of the three long
pieces is also highly complex and "thought out" - from a
luscious and uplifting song about loneliness in Covid lockdown, to a full on
17-minute long jazz/prog/canterbury fusion instrumental, to a darkly electronic
story of a homeless woman with shades of Nine Inch Nails, Po90, Japan and Van
Der Graaf lurking within. The album's final track is the 4 minute bouncy
Motown-style track "Wasted Soul", where the band anticipate a
wonderful day in the future when the pandemic is over forever. Early editions
and the Vinyl Edition will include the bonus track "In The Dead Of
Night" which is of course a cover version of the classic song by UK. The
band lineup remains from the previous 2 albums as Andy Tillison
(Vocal/Keyboards), Jonas Reingold (Bass), Luke Machin (Guitar/Vocals), Steve
Roberts (Drums) and Theo Travis (Sax & Flute).
The Tangent
online:
www.thetangent.org
https://www.facebook.com/groups/alltangentmembers/
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