Album Review: Tangents - New Bodies

Something of a Sydneysider experimental supergroup, Tangents merge a number of different disciplines into a unique end product. It's post-rock, post-jazz, post-electronic - post just about everything.

After a couple of promising early manoeuvres, their vision has really come into focus on their latest album. With shades of TNT-era Tortoise and a deft, light touch that you might associate with The Necks, Lake George opens New Bodies with a beguiling array of keys and soft percussion before being hijacked by Evan Dorrian's drums. Terracotta, though, will be the one that gets your imagination racing as it's a fine example of Tangents' knack for playing quick-tempo music that seems to glide by almost effortlessly. The hazy, chopped ambience that opens closer Oort Cloud is a good indication of why Four Tet rates this band highly, but the cherry on top is the gently flowing piano line that creeps into this track halfway through.

A career milestone, New Bodies is the sound of a band at the peak of their creativity, not to mention an awesome soundtrack for quiet sundowns in the city.