A Nostalgic Take On Electronic Indie-Pop
American indie-rock and electronic music duo, Tanlines, has returned with their first new album in eight years, The Big Mess. After singer-guitarist Eric Emm and percussionist Jesse Cohen became fathers, they decided to take a break to be with their families. While Cohen pursued corporate marketing during their time off, Emm left New York and went to Connecticut, where he never stopped writing songs. Eleven of the songs he wrote during that time made the cut for their return, The Big Mess.
The album begins with the title track, highlighting Emm’s low-register vocals, booming drums and repeated guitar chords. The tune’s lyrics focus on how Emm is reminiscing over the past, missing the days before “the big mess.” As the track approaches the end, there is a short but pleasant banjo outro that leads to the next track, “Outer Banks.”
“Outer Banks” takes a much more upbeat and poppy turn; however, the somewhat dark and longing lyrics contrast sharply with the danceable instrumentals. Short, high-pitched synths and reverberant drums are heard throughout the track while Emm sings, “Alone and together / We form two parts / Alone and together / We almost had it all.” An ambient and airy segment in the middle of the track switches up the groove, with light and atmospheric synth harmonies that transition back into the main melody.
“Burns Effect” is a mellow yet groovy tune, with raspy vocals and rich, echoing guitar chords. This track is slightly reminiscent of a song you’d hear on an Arctic Monkeys album. The soft, improvised guitar licks heard in the background throughout the track add some extra color and attitude to the piece.
While the vocal harmonies on “Endless Love” are rather pleasant, the drum beats on this track are a bit too distracting, and the guitar riffs become slightly repetitive. The loud high-hat hits and sharp cymbal samples feel out of place and take away from the overall vibe of the track. However, the guitar solo towards the end of the song was a nice touch, allowing a smoother transition back into the chorus.
As a whole, The Big Mess does a fine job of highlighting the feeling of nostalgia and reminiscing over the past. By combining electronics and guitars, Tanlines manages to create both gentle and bright-sounding tunes that are easy to listen to. Hopefully this album is not the end for Tanlines, and instead marks a new beginning.
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