Tortoise's Experimental Comeback Album Defies Genre Boundaries

Tortoise, the influential Chicago post-rock band, has returned with their first album in 9 years. Titled "Touch," the record is a departure from the band's previous work, with a noisy, unstable sound that blends their signature post-rock style with jazz and electronic elements.

Recorded remotely during the pandemic, "Touch" is a strangely moving listen that showcases Tortoise's continued evolution. The album opens with the track "Vexations," a clipped and brittle mid-tempo rock groove that shifts between uncomfortably bright and metallic tones, a warmer hip-hop stutter, and an outsized surf figure. This serrated restlessness carries through much of the record, with tracks like "Layered Presence" and "Works and Days" recalling the experimental spirit of bands like King Crimson and Oval.

Despite the genre-defying nature of "Touch," the album remains quintessentially Tortoise. The band's mastery of loop-based electronics, classical minimalism, and bass-forward dub strategies is on full display, creating a listening experience that is both challenging and deeply rewarding. As Tortoise continues to push the boundaries of post-rock, "Touch" stands as a testament to their enduring influence and artistic vision.