Tanlines — remember them? The blog-era electronic duo hasn’t released a full-length album in 8 years, since 2015’s Highlights, though they popped up briefly in 2018 with an EP of children’s music. But today they’ve announced a new album called The Big Mess, which will be out on May 19 via Merge Records. The songs on it were primarily written by Eric Emm following a move to rural Connecticut with his family, though Jesse Cohen, Tanlines’ other half who has since gotten a career in marketing, recorded the new album with him and Patrick Ford in the early days of 2022.

Today, the pair are sharing a video for The Big Mess‘ lead single “Outer Banks.” “This song is about being a perfectionist. When I was younger, I thought that being called that was a compliment,” Emm shared. “But I’ve come to realize it’s actually a liability. This is especially true in any kind of partnership. Making concessions, adjustments and letting things go are all components of a successful endeavor.”

“I’ve spent the last few years in work environments where the deck seems to have become the primary communication tool for young professionals,” Cohen added. “I wanted to find a way to use that language to tell the story of our song, ‘Outer Banks.’ Hopefully this video resonates and tickles anyone who has sat through the kind of presentation at work where someone in a box on the screen just reads the slides out loud. Welcome to Tanlines’ hybrid work era!”

Watch and listen below.

TRACKLIST
01 “The Big Mess”
02 “Outer Banks”
03 “New Reality”
04 “Burns Effect”
05 “Clouds”
06 “Unreal”
07 “Arm’s Length Away”
08 “Endless Love”
09 “Speed”
10 “Hold On”
11 “The Age Of Innocence”

The Big Mess is out 5/19 via Merge Records.