Balaban and the Bald Illeagles – P.T.A.B. (2026)
On their new single, ‘P.T.A.B.’, Balaban and the Bald Illeagles craft a track to romp around to, and dance out any anger of having descended into this long era of post-truth. Happily, lead singer Roscoe Balaban and bassist Onion have resurrected their band from a three-year hiatus with this new social critique track. The addition of new guitarist Ken Sutera Jr. brings in a mix of urgency and yearning with his opening melody before Balaban scoffs with disgust, previewing his sentiments. The band plunges into a rage-filled composition, where new drummer Sid River’s snare snaps and his pounding on the pedals and tom drums add a thick layer to the sound, intensifying the urgency, blending it within his dance beat.
Balaban preaches: “The line between lies and truth is unglued/ the ugly truth has begun to protrude”. He continues with: “We’re being disarmed by our technology/ a voluntary entrance to our own lobotomy” with disdain; the undertone making ‘P.T.A.B.’ reflective.
BATBI strike a balance of genuine concern and raw expression, especially on the hook. The vocals get ghoulish with a barreling effect, as if the band has slipped into the underworld, while posing this question to us: “Tell me how does it feel to have the Post Truth Apocalypse Blues?” Later, when he sings, “The line between rhyme and reason came unstuck/ On a planet full of people who just couldn’t give a fuck”, you can hear pain. With the clarity of his sucker punch of a delivery, the social critiques – not always connected and vague at times – are heartfelt.
One advantage of BATBI’s brand of post-punk is rhythm. The blend of dance and anthem-like melodies is an effective way to allow listeners to open up and feel a variety of emotions with looseness. By the end, though, they take it so far into dread with each member thrashing on their instruments, driving home that the apocalypse is already here.
Balaban and the Bald Illeagles return with a banger.
Find out more about Balaban and the Bald Illeagles on their Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Bandcamp and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
