Walk It Off

by

Tapes 'n Tapes

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I'm not a hipster. Indie rock is becoming the next big cliche in my humble opinion (think:alternative, early 1990's)

With that said , I did not listen to The Loon,(yet!) although hipper friends than me tried to turn me on to it.

I do know this- Walk it Off is one of the strongest and most exciting records I have heard in some time. The first track burst through my car speakers and I was instantly hooked. I knew that I had something here beyond the endless piles of the "next new band" that seem to come and go on an almost weekly basis.

There are a number of great tracks although for me Say Back Something, The Ruse ,and Headshock are standouts.

I have not seen many comments on this but the drum work is out of this world, driving and timely without overpowering.

To sum it up, if you like the idea of the Pixies making a love child with The Arcade Fire while David Bowie peeks in the window then you are weird. And you will probably like this record.

"Walk It Off" is the second LP by Minneapolis band Tapes `n Tapes. While it shares many of the quirky guitar hooks that made "The Loon" so successful, it is clear that the band is trying to move forward. The opening song, "Le Rus," features guitar riffs that are louder and fuzzier than anything to date. This trend is also apparent in "Blunt" and "The Dirty Dirty." When this loudness is juxtaposed to the somber, dragging tone of a couple late album tracks, their much loved quirkiness just doesn't seem as charming. The effect is a record that sounds like it was made by a tired band laboring too hard to move forward.

This isn't to say that it's a bad album. "Conquest" is as great a song as they've made. And the background buzzing, beeps, and synth scattered throughout the record garnish those great hooks. It's a good album, just not as exciting and fresh as "The Loon."