Touch (Tortoise album)
| Touch | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 24, 2025 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | Post-rock | |||
| Length | 38:53 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Tortoise chronology | ||||
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Touch is the eighth studio album by American post-rock band Tortoise. It was released on October 24, 2025, through International Anthem Recording Company and Nonesuch Records.[2][3] It received universal acclaim from critics.[4]
Background
Tortoise consists of Dan Bitney, John Herndon, Douglas McCombs, John McEntire, and Jeff Parker.[2] Touch is a follow-up to The Catastrophist (2016).[5] It was recorded between the three cities where the band's members live: Los Angeles, California; Portland, Oregon; and Chicago, Illinois.[6] It features contributions from Marta Sofia Honer, Skip VonKuske, and Tucker Martine.[7]
The album was released on October 24, 2025, through International Anthem Recording Company and Nonesuch Records.[2] Music videos were released for "Oganesson",[8] "Layered Presence",[9] "Works and Days",[10] and "A Title Comes".[11]
Critical reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 81/100[4] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | [12] |
| Exclaim! | 7/10[13] |
| Pitchfork | 7.6/10[14] |
| PopMatters | [15] |
| Uncut | [16] |
| Under the Radar | 7/10[17] |
According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Touch received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 81 out of 100 from 12 critic scores.[4]
Jeremy Levine of PopMatters described the album as "A cinematic record that is profoundly human and entirely spectral."[15] Heather Phares of AllMusic commented that "all of Touch reflects the curiosity that has driven Tortoise since the beginning -- and still drives them all these years later."[12] Meanwhile, Levi Dayan of The Quietus wrote, "even at its heights, Touch is always undermined by clashing musical elements, bland production and a general sense of awkwardness."[18] Eric Hill of Exclaim! stated, "If Touch were the first album by a brand new band, it would likely be judged as an unequivocal triumph — but Tortoise suffer from the burden of their iconic back catalogue."[13]
Accolades
| Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| AllMusic | AllMusic Best of 2025 | —
|
|
| PopMatters | The 30 Best Rock Albums of 2025 | 18
|
|
| The Wire | Releases of the Year (2025 Rewind) | 10
|
Track listing
All tracks are written by Tortoise.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Vexations" | 5:31 |
| 2. | "Layered Presence" | 3:07 |
| 3. | "Works and Days" | 4:16 |
| 4. | "Elka" | 3:47 |
| 5. | "Promenade à deux" | 4:23 |
| 6. | "Axial Seamount" | 4:20 |
| 7. | "A Title Comes" | 3:11 |
| 8. | "Rated OG" | 1:56 |
| 9. | "Oganesson" | 3:17 |
| 10. | "Night Gang" | 5:00 |
| Total length: | 38:53 | |
Personnel
Credits adapted from liner notes.[1]
- Dan Bitney – performance
- John Herndon – performance
- Douglas McCombs – performance
- John McEntire – performance, recording, mixing
- Jeff Parker – performance
- Tucker Martine – field recordings (3)
- Skip VonKuske – cello (5)
- Marta Sofia Honer – viola (5)
- Dave Cooley – mastering
- Heather Cantrell – scorpion photography
- Martin McEntire – scorpion sculpture
- øjeRum – collage image
- Jeremiah Chiu – layout, design
Charts
| Chart (2025) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[22] | 66 |
| UK Album Downloads (OCC)[23] | 11 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC)[24] | 13 |
References
- ^ a b "Touch | Tortoise". Bandcamp. Retrieved February 18, 2026.
- ^ a b c Corcoran, Nina (September 9, 2025). "Tortoise Announce First Album in Nine Years, Share Video for New Song: Watch". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 18, 2026.
- ^ "Tortoise Touch Early Album Listening Events". International Anthem Recording Company. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
- ^ a b c "Touch by Tortoise". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
- ^ Chelosky, Danielle (September 9, 2025). "Tortoise Announce First Album In Nine Years Touch: Hear "Layered Presence"". Stereogum. Retrieved February 18, 2026.
- ^ Eede, Christian (September 9, 2025). "Tortoise Reveal New Album, 'Touch'". The Quietus. Retrieved February 18, 2026.
- ^ Pearis, Bill (September 9, 2025). "Tortoise announce first album in 9 years, share "Layered Presence"". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved February 18, 2026.
- ^ "Tortoise - "Oganesson"". YouTube. March 27, 2025. Retrieved February 18, 2026.
- ^ "Tortoise - "Layered Presence" (film by Mikel Patrick Avery)". YouTube. September 9, 2025. Retrieved February 18, 2026.
- ^ "Tortoise - "Works and Days" (film by Alee Peoples)". YouTube. September 30, 2025. Retrieved February 18, 2026.
- ^ "Tortoise - "A Title Comes" (video by Nespy5euro)". YouTube. October 24, 2025. Retrieved February 18, 2026.
- ^ a b Phares, Heather. "Touch - Tortoise". AllMusic. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
- ^ a b Hill, Eric (October 23, 2025). "Tortoise Continue Shaping Post-Rock's Future with 'Touch'". Exclaim!. Retrieved February 18, 2026.
- ^ Hermes, Will (October 20, 2025). "Tortoise: Touch". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
- ^ a b Levine, Jeremy (November 11, 2025). "Tortoise: Touch". PopMatters. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
- ^ Deusner, Stephen (October 27, 2025). "Tortoise's Touch reviewed: welcome return for Chicago's post-rock pioneers". Uncut. Retrieved February 18, 2026.
- ^ McLean, Callum (November 12, 2025). "Tortoise: Touch (International Anthem/Nonesuch)". Under the Radar. Retrieved February 18, 2026.
- ^ Dayan, Levi (October 22, 2025). "Tortoise – Touch". The Quietus. Retrieved February 18, 2026.
- ^ "AllMusic Best of 2025 | AllMusic 2025 in Review". AllMusic. Retrieved February 18, 2026.
- ^ "The 30 Best Rock Albums of 2025 (page 2 of 3)". PopMatters. December 5, 2025. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
- ^ "Releases of the Year". The Wire. No. 503. January 2026. pp. 54–59.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart on 31/10/2025 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 18, 2026.
- ^ "Official Album Downloads Chart on 31/10/2025 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 18, 2026.
- ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart on 31/10/2025 – Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 18, 2026.
Further reading
- Rascoe, Ayesha; Mistich, Dave (November 2, 2025). "Post-rock band Tortoise discuss 'Touch,' their first album in almost a decade". NPR. Retrieved February 18, 2026.