Tugboat Captain are all set to release new album ‘All at Once’ on 17 July, 2026. It’s a record the South London band describe as ‘sprawling, technicolour and volatile’, with vocalist and guitarist Sox tumbling from one chaotic moment of modern life to another, ruminating on them all with pain and humour.

‘Roll Over’ opens the album in restrained and refined fashion, sounding like a Laurel Canyon offshoot – albeit with a refreshing, jazzy edge. There’s also a fine line in self-deprecation as Sox proudly admits: ‘You can be mean, well, you know me, I’ll roll over and take it’. ‘All at Once’ follows with a deep bass sound and a touch of electronica: ‘Last night I thought I could smell melancholy for the first time, at least in a while’. This is followed by ‘Stumble On’, a more glitchy soundscape that adds Black Country, New Road-esque strings into the mix.

Recent single ‘Us & the Moon’ is a short and sweet song that takes in a nighttime stroll through London, while ‘Perfect Opportunity’ moves into a more baroque space with a touch of The Divine Comedy as Sox talks about how ‘there’s the fear I’m gonna die’. ‘All Ends’ moves onto the Bank of Mum and Dad and how hard it can be to ask for help, even when you desperately need it: ‘Hoping that the band can come together, smother me when I need it most’. ‘Conversation Starter’ has a sultry bass-led info and deeply personal lyrics as Sox talks about his personal main character syndrome.

‘You Know I’m Really’ opens with the line ‘You know I’m really fucked up now’ and is delivered against a blast of bombastic Duke Special-style melodies. ‘Reset’ again brings mental health to the forefront – ‘Pick up that mess, try to get dressed. You’re trying your best even though you’re depressed’ – while ‘Looking for Something’ has a defiant John Barry-meets-Lemon Twigs soundtrack and another foible of modern life: ‘I’m gonna try self-sabotage. I hope my phones runs out of charge’.

‘Reliance’ delves into the deep unknown (don’t worry, Sox is still checking their phone) with a hypnotic synth loop and a desire for change: ‘I’ll go out and find the friendliest of strangers and hold on tight’. The closing ‘On & On & On’ is a Truthpaste or Divorce-style acoustic ditty that finds Sox struggling with a former loved one and the effect their leaving had: ‘I blame you for everything even though I think you’re great’.

‘All at Once’ finds Tugboat Captain moving into more expansive and sonic territory. It’s a pleasure to hop aboard.