Mixed Tapes

In the music world, there are two words that are every new band’s worst nightmare: sophomore slump. Two years after Tapes ’n Tapes’ sensational debut The Loon, the Minneapolis foursome’s honeymoon is over. Like fellow indie darlings Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Tapes ’n Tapes signed on Flaming Lips producer Dave Fridmann to assist them with their debut follow-up. But unfortunately for Tapes ’n Tapes, the result, Walk It Off, is the same as CYHSY’s Some Loud Thunder– the seemingly inevitable sophomore slump.

One thing that made The Loon so exceptional was that it was scrappy and brash, both in structure and musically, which really complemented the band’s personality and the album’s rough production. But on Walk It Off, Tapes takes a more focused and straightforward approach, brushing off the eccentricities of its debut for a more standard sound.

That’s not to say the album is awful, since Walk still has an all-around likeable sound. Fat bass-lines, catchy guitar riffs, playful drums and psychedelia are used to make this album enjoyable, but these only serve to cover up what are otherwise mediocre songs. “Time of Songs” has a slow dragging bass and shimmering guitar that will get into your head, but the song in itself will not. “George Michael,” named after the song’s guitar riff which sounds like “Faith,” is entirely forgettable for having such a memorable name. “Blunt” sounds like its name but with a wall of sound that is hard to penetrate. The album seems to have a wall dividing you from the band, preventing you from ever feeling connected to the music.

There are still a few songs that may penetrate. “Demon Apple” is drunk and rambunctious, with its walking bass and guitar and the album’s biggest rock out. “Say Back Something” makes for a lovely stroll in the park, with its bouncy rhythm and Josh Grier’s earnest vocals. In “Hang Them All,” Grier barks through the chorus channeling Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse, as they rip through one of the more energetic songs on Walk. But even with its highlights, this album will probably walk away from your consciousness in a week.