Back in an innocent day and age I like to refer to as "mid-aughts", there was a little band that could from my hometown of Minneapolis who romped through the blogosphere on the wings of a sweet EP and new tracks that referenced all that was good and pure in indie rock. That band was Tapes n' Tapes and the tracks in question were the ingredients that concocted the 2006 album The Loon. It was a soup-to-nuts indie masterpiece that gave as much as it took with quirky numbers that benefited from a stripped bare production that highlighted jittery hooks and abstract lyrics. As is an inevitable commonality for the excitedly and preemptively hyped, the rubber band snapped for Tapes n' Tapes on the next album Walk It Off where an overblown sound (courtesy of the recording style of Dave Fridmann) often clouded their reserved nature. The story now careens into the release of the third LP that for most bands follows the narrative of the "crossroads album". Smartly opting to return to independent production and a self-release on their own label Ibid, will Tapes n' Tapes bounce back and rise or perhaps surpass the great heights of their debut hit or meander back into the pack in this increasingly disposable era of music?
Of course, my lead paragraph just tipped my hand. If Outside was extreme, either to the good or bad, my preface would have either praised or damned their efforts. Instead, we have flashes of past greatness coupled with indiscriminate filler. The opening track "Badaboom" sets a promising tone with an insistent drumbeat and a swelling guitar that teases between the crescendos and finishes with a tempo change that sways until the abrupt finish. The next tracks "SWM" and "One in the World" are only knee-deep pools of quick, sassy grooves that fail to break through their catchy, glossy veneer. Tapes n' Tapes regain their footing on tracks like "Nightfall" whose darker feel, horn bleats and plaintive cries build into an restrained but satisfying finish. They get cryptic again on "Outro" by oddly placing the track with this name in the middle of the album. The beginning waltz shuffle entices, but plugging in a exiting guitar solo that rings with a big finish says much more than words could have.
Outside's big single "Freak Out" is the standout track that literally yanks the listener around like a marionette with a jangling riff and fearless stomp. (Read my initial song review here.) In the rest of the album's second half, Tapes n' Tapes lace the tracks with the noisy clatter that was the poison that killed Walk It Off. Luckily on Outside the lessons have been duly learned as the tracks are mostly salvaged by some quality writing, intriguing twists and buoyant energy. "Hidee Ho" creeps up like a Loon outtake and startles with both phonic and instrumental outbursts that have "concert highlight" written all over it. "On and On" chugs along with heavy keys and simple vocals and splinters in the end with a satisfactory dissonance. By the end of Outside, it is obvious that Tapes n' Tapes have become, through all tribulations and touring, a much more cohesive musical unit. However, rather than choosing a definite direction to travel on Outside, Tapes n' Tapes went back to their homebase and stayed put, releasing an fine yet loose collection of songs that only faintly remind fans of their previous soaring heights.
Purchase Outside here.
Listen to the entire album Outside at Spinner for a limited time.
Tapes n' Tapes - Freak Out (download for free by clicking the down arrow)
Tapes n' Tapes - Badaboom
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