Tapes 'N Tapes
Walk It Off
XL Recordings
By Mike Randall
With Flaming Lips’ producer Dave Fridmann on board for their second full-length, the question wasn’t whether or not Minneapolis indie rockers Tapes ‘N Tapes would be able to follow up their excellent debut, The Loon, it was more a curiosity as to what they’d sound like. Would a top-notch producer and an actual recording studio mature them so much that a bad Shins record would break out? All the warning signs of a band morphing into experimental mode were present. While the opening minor-chord strut of “Anvil” sublimely conveys that kind isolationist groove topped with rainy keyboards, the answer is no – sort of.
Fridmann brings out the Tapes’ inner Modest Mouse, specifically that band’s Moon and Antarctica period. There’s a relaxed urgency here, as the band gets some (but not too much) breathing room from their Pixies-influenced jams to show how they can stretch it out. This is most apparent on tracks like “Time of Songs,” accentuated with trippy keyboard loops that are the furthest thing from overindulgent. There isn’t an intergalactic vibe, but the moodiness and quirkiness is obvious. Touches of organ and rubbery guitar are smeared all over “Hang Them All,” while the angular riffs of “Headshock” show growth without altogether abandoning their sound. Even the slow-creeping funk of “Demon Apple” recalls the pride of Issaquah, Washington.
Whereas their first record seemed to use energy to cover up technique at times, the Tapes’ show exceptional pop and melodic sensibility to the point frontman Josh Grier sounds like he’s David Byrne. The breezy “Conquest” and solid first single “Hang Them All” could almost be mistaken for Talking Heads songs (if the Heads’ grew up listening to Modest Mouse, of course). Even some of the harder-edge songs don’t lose sight of melody, especially the tremendous opener, “Le Ruse,” which builds and builds to heights that seem unreachable.
Just because they’re adding textures (not orchestration – that must be made clear) isn’t to say Tapes ‘N Tapes have given up on Frank Black and Joey Santiago. The thwarting crunch of the Pixies is unmistakable on songs like “Blunt” and “The Dirty Dirty,” complete with an onslaught of thick, dark guitars and razor-edged vocals. It might surprise you how much they sound like the Pixies (with the dramatic flair of Interpol tossed in for good measure), especially with obtuse lyrics that would most likely get a stamp of approval from Mr. Black Francis. When Grier screams in a Black-esque growl, “Where did all the money go?” it’s about the only time on the record he’s being straightforward, but it’s done so that the sweat and emotion can be felt through the speakers.
Tapes ‘N Tapes seemingly came out of nowhere with The Loon, receiving much of their buzz thanks to blogs and message boards touting them as an ‘it’ band. With expectations this time around, they did the smart thing by evolving in a way that makes them sound better, as opposed to just different. On Walk It Off, they’ve turned their back on the pressure and made a record that does just that.
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