CD Reviews

Tapes N' Tapes

Walk It Off | XL

By MIKAEL WOOD | April 15, 2008

1.5 Stars

Last time we heard from this young Minneapolis quartet — and if you spend any time on the Internet, you heard a lot — the story had little to do with music. Instead, Tapes ’n Tapes told a tale of process: a new business model for scruffy rock bands looking for a safe way into (what’s left of) the record industry. That’s old news now — dug Crystal Castles yet? Which puts Tapes ’n Tapes in the position of having to earn your attention with their songs. They don’t always succeed on Walk It Off, in part because producer Dave Fridmann’s oversaturated-in-both-senses-of-the-word indie-psych sound does them no favors in their attempt to establish an identifiable TNT brand. (Who needed another reason to confuse this record with the sophomore set by fellow blog faves Clap Your Hands Say Yeah?) Frontman Josh Grier and his mates have some kicky post-Pixies fun here, and Grier offers a memorable image in “Conquest” when he walks “alone through miles and miles of bones.” But their last narrative was way catchier.

Tapes ’N Tapes | Paradise, 967 Comm Ave, Boston | April 17 | 617.562.8800

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