Blog favorites Tapes ‘n Tapes go from overrated to underrated on their sophomore full-length, Walk It Off. The Minneapolis band’s full-length debut, 2006’s The Loon, inspired much love in the indie blogosphere, so much so that a backlash was inevitable, and Walk It Off has faced that. However, while The Loon was an over-hyped debut akin (though not to the stratospheric levels of hype of) Arctic Monkeys and Vampire Weekend, Walk If Off is an altogether stronger record, as the band traded in some of its over-complexity for hook.
Throughout the record, singer/guitarist Josh Grier’s vocals resemble no one so much as Wolf Parade’s (QRO live review) Dan Boeckner (QRO photos) and Spencer Krug (QRO live review), all high and reedy, but with a warbling cadence. The beat is more conventional than Wolf Parade, or The Loon, but still meanders, such as on opener “Le Ruse”. The following “Time Of Songs” is sadder and more melodic, carrying well, but the standout track is easily the first single, “Hang Them All”. Fun and catchy, it’s a great combo of press and shuffle beats. The pressing nature of Tapes ‘n Tapes comes out frequently on Walk It Off, well on the dark, driving finisher “The Dirty Dirty”, but doesn’t quite mesh with the indietronic background of “George Michael”. The penultimate “Lines” begins slower and world-weary, before getting louder and more pressing in its second half.
Tapes ‘n Tapes also try out two other styles on Walk, one done nicely, one, not so much. Like “Ruse” and the first half of “Lines”, the band can do a more restrained sound well, such as on the alt-country twang of “Conquest”, the sweet quiet of the following “Say Back Something”, or the pretty restraint and alt-country vibe of “Anvil”. However, when the group turns up their distortion, things can go south, especially when they plod, like on “Headshock” and “Demon Apple”.
The best thing to come out of all the coverage of The Loon had to be the hilarious Human Giant sketch, wherein Aziz Ansari plays the band’s overzealous, violent pr agent, ‘Clell Tickle: Indie Marketing Guru’ (sample dialogue: “I’ve decided that if you don’t post that Tapes ‘n Tapes mp3, I’m going to come back here tomorrow and give you a Colombian necktie”). The band could have used Mr. Tickle to fight off a negative reaction to Walk It Off that’s been almost as over-the-top as the positive one for The Loon. When you take it on it’s own, Walk It Off stands up much better.
