The Tangent leader Andy Tillison has pulled out all of the stops and formed what is in my view one of the best incarnations of the band.With Andy himself playing keyboards and of course singing, he is joined by regular members Luke Machin electric and acoustic guitars, Theo Travis saxophone and flute as well as legendary bassist John Jowitt and drummer Steve Roberts.The album will be released as a double CD with a deluxe version containing a third disc featuring ,“also ran” tracks, a 24 page booklet and three postcards (one of them signed).
The first disc is taken up predominantly by two epic twenty plus minute opus divided by a shorter song between them both.The eagerly awaited 14th studio album by UK Prog stalwarts The Tangent will be released on Friday October 2nd 2026.I will say from the outset that reviewing any Tangent album isn’t as conventional as others. This is due to the fact that Andy Tillison is so adept at capturing orchestral sounds, bass lines, percussion and other instrumentation that it becomes so difficult to identify the real thing. If that sounded like a disclaimer then it probably is.
I would also point out that Andy Tillison and I are both the same age, which at the time of writing is 67 years old. This is relevant due to the nature of the two major pieces included on the first disc, Was and Was Not.Relevant in the sense that many of the listeners of the same age and older will resonate fully with the lyrical content of the two epic pieces. That is not to say that younger Tangent fans won’t. They may simply have to question some of the points before fully understanding them.To describe in depth the premise of Was would take up most of this review. It is also best described in Andy Tillison’s own unique way. Therefore I think it best to explore The Tangent website or read the sleeve notes.
Fans of the band may recall The Tangent’s 2013 album Le Sacre Du Travail?This album explored the mundane nature of modern life on a daily/weekly basis which is a fair synopsis I would think? Was takes on a whole life reflection, questioning our memory of it both celebratory and the vagary of our past.People of our generation haven’t had to endure war as other nations have, something for which I am eternally grateful thus far. Yet, we remember through our parents and grandparents the bleakness of world war two.
The ghostly and somewhat sinister bowed cello sound forms the opening to the eerie overture which lasts for just over three minutes before the slightly muted voice of Andy Tillison can be heard, as if via and old crystal radio set.The Prologue is very much as the name would suggest ,a scene setter and along with The Dandelion Clock form the first memories of the singers life. This is a softly spoken, sombre reflection so aptly supported by ingenious keyboard orientated orchestration in a truly Roger Waters style.As I listened intently it dawned on me that this guy is not only singing about his life and how he remembered it, he reflected my life as well as his own. The beige setting of The Living Room had me recalling the same environment of my childhood and adolescence whilst Luke Machin’s bluesy guitar helped to build the scale of the piece as it progressed.
During the Nam sequence of the piece things take on an even more Floydian aspect with both Luke Machin’s Gilmour-like guitar style and the whole scale of the band hammering home the ugliness of war.Also present here are smile inducing musical references from days of yore both lyrical and familiar musical riffs of the time. There are some of Luke Machin’s best blues licks to be heard during this section of Was. Towards the conclusion of the piece Theo Travis really was channelling the late Dick Parry by adding a Pink Floyd – like saxophone break at just under twenty minutes into the piece further adding to the ambience. I found myself pressing the pause button when this piece had finished just to take in what I’d heard before continuing.
Sandwiched between the two Prog opera’s on the first disc of Was, is the much funkier and breezy Follow The River. A most pleasing and very much band driven song about Andy Tillison’s lifelong connection with the river Wharf in his beloved Yorkshire. Saxophone and guitar elevate the upbeat nature of the song, and oh, that rhythm section! John Jowitt and Steve Roberts are a formidable pair.Perfectly sequenced betwixt the two main features. In cinematic terms Follow The River served well as the perfect musical intermission before returning to the main event.
The five sections of Was Not leave me with no doubt in my mind that there is throughout it’s course a strange narrative and it’s predecessor Was. This is a unique album which having listened to Andy Tillison’s singing at the beginning of the piece makes me think it would lend itself to the west end.Button B was to be found in telephone boxes the length and breadth of the UK throughout my childhood. Button A was to connect your call to a recipient and button be was pressed if the call wasn’t answered or if the caller wanted to hang up and get their money back.
It also reflects how we fondly remember such elements of our childhood in comparison to the relative ease with which we can communicate today.These notions are explored within the Memory Implant. Even after twenty post war years some of the attitudes were still prevalent throughout the early sixties with references to the war years forever present in so many ways.Nostalgia Forecast speaks of the way these seeds were sewn into peoples minds by the golden age of television, Pathe news and films. The band really are quietly on fire at this point most notably John Jowitt’s bass playing and Steve Robert’s precise yet never intrusive drum technique.
The Prog Bit In 7 brings with it lots of gratuitous synthesiser, Hammond organ and guitar. I found this section of Was Not a total delight. Many of the things I love personally about Prog all in one pot!With a great Hammond break at 12:08 into the piece I was in my element with John Jowitt’s bass rumbling along nicely before emptying Into Reprogramming where the listener can re-live 70’s youth. Incorporating funk, disco and all out Prog. Luke Machin’s fusion guitar playing is up there with the best. In fact, it could put some of the best known fusionists to shame.The Care Home is an almost tear inducing conclusion to what I consider to be the most powerful Tangent music so far recorded. It also serves as reminder that this is an end game for so many of us. Hold out for 12 seconds after the song has finished to hear an amusing telephone enquiry made by Andy Tillison. Once again I halted proceedings to take stock before switching to disc 2.
Before me were a suite of five musical pieces the last one being a song. Without any further delay I pressed the play button and began listening to the beautiful rich piano and flute intro of L’ Aperetif (The Aperitif). The sumptuous keyboards and woodwind set amidst very fine orchestration courtesy of Andy Tillison’s vast sample library. As an aperitif it stands up very well on its own and then some. Moving onto Steak De Chevruil Et Le fermier ( Farm Raised Steak) begs the question, when did Keith Emerson walk in? Andy Tillison’s piano and Hammond playing having all the hallmarks of the great man himself right down to the famed left hand.Shades of Tarkus brought to heel by subtle piano in it’s closing moments.
Glockenspiel and piano change the mood slightly to the smoother atmosphere of the jazzier Danse (Dance). With it’s hint of the late Lalo Shifrin in it’s composition it wouldn’t be out of plays in any Dirty Harry OST. With it’s soothing Rhodes and muted trumpet samples there is a definite jazz club vibe due in no small part to the warm, round textured bass.Included here too is the crackle and haze of a vinyl record further enhancing the feeling of authenticity. Luke Machin’s deft jazz guitar style fit hand in glove with the mood of the whole piece. There is also some great synthesiser playing before concluding with a recurring piano motif. My this time it dawned on me that the album was simply going from strength to strength.
With that in mind, the highlight of disc two La Route Cotiere ( The Coastal Route ) managed it’s way beneath my skin. Very much a jazz fusion piece steeped in goodness and once again very much a band effort. Steve Robert’s drums never miss a beat throughout the intensity of this complex roller coaster ride. There is so much packed into the soundstage even the brief appearance of a Mellotron string sound at one point. Theo Travis pretty much takes the lead whilst The rest of the band are on fire. Simply stunning.
Slowing the pace a little is Multi Partisme (Multi Partyism). With it’s sleepy orchestration and Hammond organ setting the scene this is the longest piece on the second disc.I would best describe it as beguiling and to a point musically therapeutic. Very much a musical chameleon with it’s changing time signatures and pace without a moments notice. Listening to the synergy of all the players involved during Multi Partisme (Multi Partyism) confirmed to me just how much I enjoy this configuration of the band.
Bringing disc 2 to a close is the only song included in the suite. Laisses Moi Chanter ( Let Me Sing) has bass leading the way with deep, rich subsonic interventions. As Andy Tillison begins to sing you start to realise that the song is so aptly titled following such a densely layered musical adventure thus far. This is a borderline ballad with a sting in its tale. Interfacing with tech and communication as well as the pitfalls of social media. The song signs off the album with a stark message and a rousing guitar crescendo before fading into a recording of UN messenger of peace Jane Goodall speaking in that capacity to a group of young people. She died almost a year to the day (October 1st 2025) before the album is released.
I rarely make massive statements, especially with regards to bands like The Tangent with such a huge canon of work to look back on, though I will make an exception in this case. Was is without doubt the most significant album the band have recorded to date. No mean feat when you consider their achievements so far. Disc 1 will likely appeal more to the older fans and may require younger fans to investigate and research some of the lyrical points made, where as disc 2 will appeal to both young and older fans equally.I’ve been following this band since they set up shop and I can confirm to you all that Was is nothing shy of astounding!
Band Images by StudioStead Photo & Video
Image of Andy Tillison by Sally Collyer.
The album is available via White Knight Records
Pre-order or order here for UK https://www.whiteknightshop2.co.uk/store/The-Tangent-Was-2CD-pre-order-p852520820
Pre-order or order here for UK deluxe version https://www.whiteknightshop2.co.uk/store/The-Tangent-Was-Deluxe-Edition-UK-Option-p853852020
Please check the Tangent website for links to EU and rest of the world purchases.
www.thetangent.org
