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Tanlines return with a redefined perfection on ‘Outer Banks’

Photo Credit: Katie Notopoulos

Tanlines are a perfect kind of band. Every few years they check in, drop some infectious indie-pop jams that hold up rather timelessly (highlights include 2012’s “All of Me”; 2015’s “Slipping Away”), and liven up our hearts n’ playlists for a while until we need a refill. But somehow it’s been eight years since the New York and Connecticut duo delivered that trademark Tanlines album bounce — life sure has a way of fucking with timelines, even for Tanlines — but Eric Emm and Jesse Cohen are back in action with a new record and enticing new single.

The album is called The Big Mess, and it’s due May 19 via Merge Records, and the single is an expectedly upbeat and joyous number called “Outer Banks.”

“This song is about being a perfectionist,” says Emm. “When I was younger, I thought that being called that was a compliment. 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.” 

This “Outer Banks” earworm also arrives with an accompanying music video that pitches the track via a presentation deck. It was crafted by Tanlines with design and production by Star Quality Studio.

“I’ve spent the last few years in work environments where the deck seems to have become the primary communication tool for young professionals,” adds Cohen. “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!” 

Get into “Outer Banks” through sight and sound below.

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