Years ago, a friend turned me onto New Orleans’ amazing Tank and the Bangas (TATB) via their amazing NPR Tiny Desk concert, which they won (video posted below). I was immediately entranced by their music, storytelling, and powerful presence. Later that same day, we saw them live at the Monterey Jazz Festival, where their performance went off the hook, way beyond expectations. I bought their first major-label album, 2019’s The Green Balloon, direct from the band. I told them this story, and they accordingly time-stamped my album with “new fan alert” at the top.
The Green Balloon is a great album, and after their equally fine follow-up, The Red Balloon, it has taken a while for us to get a formal new TATB album. There have been some fun EPs and singles issued through the pandemic, along with a great live album. Last year, their The Heart, The Mind, The Soul won the Grammy for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album.
Now, in 2026, finally, a new balloon, The Last Balloon, has been inflated and set to sail. The third in this trilogy, it’s every bit as good as the first two!
The Last Balloon is a joy, once again blurring lines between hip hop, pop, soul, rock, and jazz, all infused with TATB’s own distinctive personality, the kind that could only emerge from a musically diverse and culturally rich city like New Orleans.
After only two listens, I already have earworm favorites, such as the new wave power pop of “Whole World,” which feels loosely like a 21st-century twist on The Captain & Tennille, and I mean that in the best possible way. First single “No Invite” has won my heart much in the way TATB’s earlier hip hop and rap moments grabbed me.
For me, however, TATB remain at their best mining hook-filled soul grooves that give Tank the best platform for her amazing voice, an instrument that can flip from bluesy growls to playful, childlike pitter-patter to big, soaring, swinging sambas somewhere between Sade and Sarah Vaughan. Check out “Move Closer” to get an idea of what I’m talking about.
“Go Your Own Way” has a great chopped production aesthetic that doesn’t lose track of the melody and groove. I love the simple vibe of “Is It Over?,” which reminds me of a sort of inside out twist on the musical structure underlying Paul McCartney’s “Let Him In.” “Honeycomb” is another early favorite on this new album, with its haunting jazz fusion chorus and break.
The production values on The Last Balloon are excellent, and once again, the songwriting is compelling, filled with musical surprises. It is precisely that element of surprise that drew me to this band in the first place. Like no less than Frank Zappa, TATB can be super serious or ridiculously hilarious, and always jazz fusion tight. But ultimately, it comes down to the music, and TATB’s The Last Balloon is bursting with joy.
As far as what to expect from TATB in the future, I’m not sure, but I wouldn’t be surprised if lead singer Tank is contemplating a solo break. Whatever she does, I’ll be there listening.
Where to buy:
- $24.99 at Amazon (Vinyl)
- $13.95 at Amazon (CD)
- $25.98 at tankandthebangas.com (Honeycomb LP)
Here is the NPR Tiny Desk winning performance.
Mark Smotroff is a deep music enthusiast / collector who has also worked in entertainment oriented marketing communications for decades supporting the likes of DTS, Sega and many others. He reviews vinyl for Analog Planet and has written for Audiophile Review, Sound+Vision, Mix, EQ, etc. You can learn more about him at LinkedIn
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