Perhaps more standard in Tortoisian terms than 2001’s experimental yet structured Standards, the Chicago-based quintet’s fifth full-length, It’s All Around You, returns to formlessness with a ten-track meander through jazz-electro-kraut funk fashioned from brilliant percussion, solid production, and the signature transcendent melodies Tortoise fans have been conceived, born, and raised on for nearly a decade. Ever since John McEntire’s first vibraphone strike phonetically implied the “post” in post-rock, we’ve romanced, cried, laughed, and felt confused to Tortoise’s sweeping spectrum of instrumental soundscapes and atmospheres. Tortoise have a knack for alchemizing emotional subtleties into weighty aural stews; It’s All Around You is the product of a tried and true recipe, and though they went easy on the experimentation this time around, it might be the most appropriate release in these post-post-rock times to ground Tortoise into the collective firmament of nostalgia for all that is good in this generation of music.
The aptly-titled album is, when absorbed as a complete package, an environment: from the almost distractingly engaging case (not only is the cover a visual whiff of potpourri, but it operates impossibly as an object with two fronts and no backs) to the final lingering chord of “Salt the Skies,” It’s All Around You creates a habitat rolling with low frequencies and subtle atmospheric production populated by each member’s live instrumentation. Guitarist Jeff Parker wails acutely direct licks throughout the record; his work on “Five Too Many” paints arguably the most memorable piece of the album with a refreshing no-frills hook that rings with simplicity and distinction. Percussionists John McEntire and Dan Bitney lay down the bones of the album while bassist Doug McCombs and keyboardist John Herndon provide the meat, the whole time functioning to near perfection as a single seamless unit.
The title track is easily the best on the album, and should Tortoise have anthems, or singles, this song would certainly stand out as prototypical. Organs, vibraphones, guitars, and drums announce the unmistakable presence of the band rolled out on the red carpet of McCombs’ 
powerful rumbling bass line, opening the album in grandiose fashion. The track’s epic sound is echoed as the soothing mire of oohs and ahs on “The Lithium Shifts” transitions flawlessly into the proclamation of steady summit-conquering chords of “Crest.” Cinematic strings suggest the surreal but quickly give way to the down-to-earth sexy funk swagger of “Stretch (You Are All Right),” allowing Tortoise to change direction and draw again from their seemingly endless palette of mastered moods. “Unknown” is pensive and eerie as the title suggests while “Dot/Eyes” provokes and possesses with brash distorted percussion, propelling the record into its final stretch of mysteriously melodic bogs and excited percussive romps through uncertainty.
Essentially the album is a non-linear piece with no particular direction other than each immediate moment in itself, but the intricate layering of tracks and moods mesh together so well you can almost walk into the context of a complete listen. Tracks like “On the Chin” and “By Dawn” provide a brooding uncertainty that seems to ground the album as strictly setting, but the final two tracks stir up enough emotion established in the first fifteen minutes of the record to breathe life over the vastly diverse terrain. To put it simply, the album is superb and well worth the listen; you might find yourself at home if It’s All Around You holds true to its name.
It’s All Around You is out now on Thrill Jockey Records.
