Description
Tortoise, the renowned post-rock band rooted in Chicago, Illinois, has been on an unyielding journey of musical exploration since its formation in 1990. With ‘Touch’, their remarkable album dropped in 2025, they’ve unrolled a fresh narrative that redrafts the lines of what a conventional rock band can deliver to eager fans and critics alike.
Over the decades, Tortoise’s musical meandering has unscrolled an anthology that often falls into the not-so-easily defined category of “post-everything”. This descriptor not only points to their ability to surmount extensive chronological barriers but also highlights that they are not bound by their past. ‘Touch’ is their first offering in nearly a decade, proving that their long-standing musical influence on the post-rock genre is as impactful as ever, touching base with their earlier krautrock, dub, minimal music, electronica, and jazz-infused beginnings.
Tortoise’s most recent album was loaded with hypnotic and gripping notes that effortlessly embraced an array of elements. With it, the band opened a conduit, casting details to the four winds, from solid riffs that walked a tightrope between forceful and engaging, to technoid beats that danced a passionate tango with pipe organ chords. Tracks like ‘Oganesson’ with its fragmented melodic segments, and ‘Works And Days’ with soundscapes resembling tape scribbles, further amplified the essence of the album adding a comfortable, all-encompassing vibe.
Masterminded by the hard-hitting ensemble including Doug McCombs and John Herndon initially, the band later expanded to include other seminal talents in the scene such as John McEntire and Bundy K. Brown. Though Tortoise has always maintained an all-hands-on-deck approach in their credit list, it became clear over time that McEntire’s primary contributions as their recording engineer and mixer made him the crucial driving force behind the group. But as always, it is the collective effort that makes Tortoise truly shine and shape their music.
Tortoise’s intriguing experimentation with a mix of styles and forms revived an indie rock and punk rock-like energy from their roots within Chicago’s fertile music environment. Its members actively participated in several notable side projects, which encompassed the likes of The Sea and Cake, Brokeback, Slint, Isotope 217, Chicago Odense Ensemble, Tar Babies, and the Chicago Underground Duo. Moreover, with the release of ‘Touch’, Tortoise has yet again confirmed their propensity to meld styles ranging from krautrock and dub to minimal music, electronica, and jazz forms in a way that both pays tribute to their origins and pushes the boundaries of the post-rock genre.
Towards the end, ‘Touch’ is a testament to Tortoise’s ability to craft music that in every way resonates with their long-standing legacy while breaking new ground. The album stands as an audacious narrative in the band’s discography, a record that researchers and historians of music would indeed find a wealth of material to dissect and analyze. With references to contemporary artists such as Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, Paul Duncan of Warm Ghost, and members from Bright Eyes, Tortoise’s ‘Touch’ has truly redefined the scope for post-rock bands in the 21st century.
