When we posted on Walk It Off’s lead track “Hang Them All,” we basically said: If you didn’t care about Tapes ‘N Tapes before, you likely still wouldn’t. Well, after listening to all 12 tracks on the band’s Dave Fridmann-produced sophomore album, we’re changing our tune a tiny bit. What we noticed in the comments when the album streamed for a day is that people are actually discussing Fridmann’s production. On songs like the catchy, clamoring opener “Le Ruse” (that jittery guitar) or “The Dirty Dirty” (great drum sound, though the song itself drags), Fridmann adds an element that was absent on The Loon (except for in some distorted vocals a la “Just Drums”). He makes the songs sound dirty, which makes things more interesting. For instance, check the depth of the drumkit on “Say Something Back.” The almost Sonic Youth-y swells of “George Michael.” Or, fittingly, the overloaded guitar channels of “Headstock.” It may be a turn-off to fans of the debut, but it adds much-needed scum. Thing is, while the production points toward growth, the same can’t always be said for the songwriting.
At their worst, the band lacks a specific identity. Here/there, they’re basically a hodgepodge of various groups — you hear a little Modest Mouse (everywhere), or Pixies (“Blunt”), or that band you can’t quite remember right now (everywhere), or Pavement. In these moments, it’s like you asked someone to define “indie rock,” and they opted to jumble together an assemblage of folks who did it better.
We dig “Le Ruse,” the slap-happy, ska-accented “Hang Them All” (hello, Modest Mouse), that aforementioned noisy escalation in “George Michael,” and ditto “Headstock” (especially the outro). Some songs are pleasant: “Conquest” reminds us of Vampire Weekend, or David Byrne. There are more than a few throwaways. Maybe the most egregious is the plodding “Demon Apple.” This is a spot where Fridmann fails as well, with unnecessary synth squiggles. But then he adds interestingly distorted layers to “Blunt,” an otherwise pointless excuse to make use of tambourine. Save. Unfortunately, he can’t save the turgid “Anvil” … or far too many other uninteresting moments.
Walk It Off is out 4/8 via XL.
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This is the worst album I have heard all year.
it’s just like their first album, three great songs, a lot of filler.
This record is loads better than the Loon. It’s pretty great.
Very disappointing. Part of what made Loon great was the frantic and loose feel. This album sounds mature and more polished, and as a result, exponentially more boring. Tapes ‘n Tapes – one album wonder?
Very disappointing. Part of what made Loon great was the frantic and loose feel. This album sounds mature and more polished, and as a result, exponentially more boring. Tapes ‘n Tapes – one album wonder?
“The Dirty Dirty” drags? After reading that, I can dismiss the rest of your review. I really enjoy this album mostly because when I listen to it, I like most of the songs. I guess I could think of some hipster impediments to my enjoyment:
1.) It’s their second album, they stink now and I am over them
2.) I don’t listen to bands from “America” anymore – BOOOOOOOOOOOORING
3.) This thing reeks of Fridmann and when I first heard the Loon, I pictured Tom Verlaine as the producer of their follow up and I am ususally right about everything
4.) This is what Vampire Weekend would sound like if they went to Oberlin
5.) Meh
6.) As pseudo-dirty as Black Mountain’s latest and almost as derivative
let the sophomore backlash begin!
good album, glad you guys came around….
@rian97ou, no sh*t eh? what did you expect for the band that was called the first “blog band”, you know most people will now hate them.
links are broken on the post after this
So far it sounds like it’s much safer than The Loon was. Not so acute, I’d say. ‘Hang Them All’ is the only track preserving the shadow of the Loon’s glory so far.
the dirty dirty and demon apple are my favorites! every person i know who’s heard it has a different favorite song, which i think speaks loads about the record’s potential. it’s solid all the way through, and you guys, per usual, are way off the mark.
I love how people’s impression of this album in relation to the last can be that it is both more “dirty” and more “polished.” Somehow both are valid points in relation to Walk it Off.
Anyway, the highs here are so damn good. Le Ruse may be the best album opener since Airbag kicked off OK Computer. Headshock, Conquest, Say Something Back: all show a sense of melody that just didn’t exist on The Loon. And who thought a song named after a lifted George Michael strumming patern could be so damn good?
Even with it’s weaker moments Walk It Off works as a whole album. Blunt and Lines have the excellent George Michael and Anvil to break them up and make them sound worse in comparison. This is going to make the year-end lists, and deservedly so. This album shows huge growth for what could have easily become just another blog-hyped-one-album-wonder-band.
This is bad, unfortunately. Really bad. Boring, derivative, compressed to the point of being unlistenable. The “production” just amazes: was Fridmann asleep during the recording of “Conquest” when the lead singer’s voice cracks multiple times?
But chris (above) is right, “Le Ruse” is definitely up there with “Airbag.”
I never liked Tapes ‘N Tapes, but I started to loathe them when I was helping my friend’s roommate move out, that stoner fuck. He didn’t even offer to smoke me out. But the fact was we all wanted him GONE. (He was moving upstairs.)
And then he made me listen to “The Loon” as if I hadn’t already heard it, and he kept mentioning how much he was ‘digging’ it. And then we had to listen to Sunset Rubdown, which is another band I don’t… dig.
It’s not that I think they’re bad at what they do. It’s just, I’m the sort of douche bag who thinks all rock music post-”Tim” is kind of irrelevant since everything else falls short of what rock’n'roll is supposed to be…
But anyway…. To me, Tapes’N Tapes is bland. It’s not that I think they’re overhyped, they’re just boring. I didn’t give this new one a fair listen, really, but it seemed like more of the same boring indie rock that I think anyone who’s ever heard “Marquee Moon” and taken a guitar lesson can produce.
To Tapes ‘N Tapes’s credit, though, I’m glad that stoner douche bag lives upstairs now.
The only thing terrible here is this review. It’s bad. Bad bad bad.
I wasn’t a fan of the Loon. I think Walk It Off shows a nice development in songwriting and sound. The Loon was overhyped, but there’s no reason to take it out on their second album.
Personally, I thought the Loon as pretty alright. Definitely some songs are better and more put together than others, but as a whole it wasn’t THAT bad. With “Walk It Off,” they are still Tapes n’ Tapes…with a little bit of fluff around the edges, making the album similar but different in its own right. All in all, I generally like this band and think that they did a pretty good job with their follow-up.
I’m more on the “like it” side. The first five or six songs are incredible, and the ones after are still growing on me.
Somebody said this is the biggest disappointment of 2008. That’s just not right. That position clearly goes to Gnarls Barkley. The Odd Couple is so, so, so poop.
Listen to Why? and Evangelicals and the Dodos and Cloud Cult (Top of ‘08!)
these guys are so nice. Can’t say I love their music, but I wish them the best b/c the few times I met them they were the kindest people ever.
I knew that there would be backlash. I think WALK IT OFF has a new confident feel and the songs grew on me as I heard them. I don’t see what is wrong with the songwriting here, I don’t see how they are derivative of Modest Mouse and the Pixies. Yeah, there is an influence. But so what? Every other band is ripping off Modest Mouse in particular. Why lay this rap on Tapes? Tokyo Police Club sound like a ton od bands. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah do too. So many bands sound like Radiohead or Modest Mouse or Neutral Milk Hotel. I think Tapes are much less derivative than most.
This band was never good. They had maybe 3 good songs on the first record and the blogosphere tried to make them superstars. They’re lucky they even had a chance to work with such an amazing producer like Dave Fridmann. And I’m glad people are comin around on him again, people tried to catagorize him as a on trick pony with mercury rev and flaming lips, but his discography is amazing, and he is way more talented than that.
This album is great. It is is a little simplistic, but its catchiness and grittyness combined makes for a great sound. the songs are really good, and while i hear modest mouse in their music, the pixies too, it is still their original music and i wouldn’t say they are biting anyone’s steez. they have influences, but this is one of my favorite albums to listen to right now. it kicks ass and all you haters can get bent
Those who can’t do, review.
Well, that’s not really true. There are some music critics that make music from Chrissie Hynde (wasn’t she the person who reviewed an album and was scorned for it?) and Cadence Weapon, whose new album is actually pretty good.
Reviewers just know their preference of music. You’d be surprised how many of them might make some good musicians.
Well, that’s not really true. There are some music critics that make music from Chrissie Hynde (wasn’t she the person who reviewed an album and was scorned for it?) and Cadence Weapon, whose new album is actually pretty good.
Reviewers just know their preference of music. You’d be surprised how many of them might make some good musicians.
well, i can tell you right now that stereogum writers would NOT be good musicians, cause this review is horrible! walk it off is freaking awesome! love it.
I agree awful album, listened to it a lot expecting to grow into it, instead it just grates. listened to ‘the loon’ for first time in a while and its far superior in nearly every way
Fridmann was phoning this one in. The band performed well. The production that Erik Appelwick did on the first record was way more interesting. Overpriced producers that don’t give a rat’s ass about the music are a waste of money.