SONGS FROM THE HARD SHOULDER

2022 sees The Tangent releasing their twelfth studio album, the rather enjoyable 'Songs From the Hard Shoulder' - this one consists of four new songs and a very interesting bonus track, all making up a total of 75 minutes worth of music, filled up with the usual "Tangential goodness" - a lot of jazzy pieces, shifting moods, menacing synths, and a Canterbury/Van der Graaf Generator-ish nod, all intertwined within Andy Tillison's quite recognizable writing style and idiosyncratic vocal delivery. Following up on the decent 'Auto Reconnaissance', this album is a definite improvement even if there is this feeling of incompleteness here and there. Yet it displays a lot of memorable melodies and quirky bits, which is exactly what one might be looking for with this band.

Opening up the album is the 17-minute 'The Changes', a pretty good song by The Tangent's standards, even if its extended length can be challenging for the more impatient listeners. Fine riffs and soothing jazz-tinted playing grace this song, despite it becoming somewhat forgettable at a certain point. Still, the piece has its complexities and works quite decently overall. Next up is another 17-minute-long composition, the fusion-y instrumental 'GPS Vultures', perhaps the best track on the album, which also holds up pretty well for what it represents; it also keeps the listener engaged as it is harder to predict where the band might go next. The big 20-minute epic 'The Lady Tied to the Lamp Post' is really good and the playing on this one is mostly minimalist and expressive, despite the strong presence of mellow tones that can start to feel slightly repetitive once you get past a certain point. 'Wasted Soul' is not the best track on the album, even if it remains a quirkier entry. The bonus track is an interesting cover of 'In the Dead of Night' by U.K. mixed up with one of Andy Tillison's electronic/ambient pieces, which are scattered all over The Tangent discography, as we know - all in all, great stuff!

An overall pessimistic, darker tone goes on to define this album, which ultimately remains an appealing work from this band of excellent musicians. 'Songs from the Hard Shoulder' is really consistent and has a mellow, steady flow, which might be found appealing by the more laid-back listeners. However, the moodiness and all the gloom, together with the extended lengths of the majority of the songs on here, can be a setback and a great challenge for someone who is just getting into The Tangent's music.

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