Okay, confession time: The Loon'the debut album from Minneapolis indie quartet Tapes 'n Tapes'was released late 2005 in the Midwest. But considering its recent international release, as well as the fact that it has just attracted the attention of national reviewers and the college record-buying crowd, it seems fair to call Tapes 'n Tapes' stellar release the indie album of summer 2006.
Complete with messy strumming, arty lyrics, late-night vocals and crunching riffs, The Loon is an album that entertains immediately but still rewards after repeated listens. This is an album to put on when you feel like letting loose while still being engaged and challenged.
The Loon's first track, 'Just Drums,' effectively sums up what Tapes 'n Tapes are about: They play music that doesn't stray too far from their immediate influences'Pavement and Pixies come through clearly on this record'but they make sure never to forget the sheer fun they had listening to the bands that inspired them.
The jangling, Modest Mouse-esque guitar noise that starts the album off is beautiful but never precious sounding'it is like what Modest Mouse might sound like if they were more interested in head banging instead of introspection.
Tapes 'n Tapes creates an odd but satisfying entity: riff-centered indie music. They are what Pavement might have sounded like if they tailored their music to fit arenas, while still refusing to sacrifice an ounce of their individualistic songcraft.
The album's centerpiece is the brilliant, galloping and insanely enjoyable 'Insistor.' Combing the sounds of surf guitar with Old West guitar twang ?? la Pixies, Tapes 'n Tapes once again clearly state their influences without ever sounding tired. With lead vocalist Josh Grier shouting stream-of-consciousness lines like a less-crazy Frank Black''I'll call your name like Harvard Square holds all the inane / And don't you know I'll be your badger? / And don't be terse and don't be shy / Just hug my lips and say good lies''it is hard to believe The Loon is this band's first album. Fully developed yet mercifully raw, 'Insistor' is the sound of a band with more talent than they have figured out what to do with.
'Manitoba' is The Loon's other masterpiece, featuring killer riffs and lonesome, wistful acoustic tunefulness. This is the perfect song for one of the most untouched, ignored regions in North America. Accentuated with sleepy vocals, dreamy guitar picking and sweet/sad tone, 'Manitoba' evokes the sense of living in a cold, uneventful yet compellingly natural region. Halfway through the track, the harp-like guitar playing gives way to a riff-tastic conclusion complete with Farfisa organ and guitar licks so pop/rock savvy you wonder if Cheap Trick didn't come into the studio and give them a few pointers.
Only on '10 Gallon Ascots' does the band get dangerously close to rip-off territory. Grier adopts Stephen Malkmus' technique of yelping one or two words in a high pitch during an otherwise low-key song, and briefly sounds like a dead ringer for the erstwhile Pavement frontman. The crunching chorus saves the song, though, making you realize that if familiar material is imbued with enough energy and spirit, it doesn't really matter'we're all having a good time.
This Minneapolis band does a rare thing: It works from an existing palette without ever being stale, or distracting the listener from its full-bodied sound and impeccably crafted songs. Considering the last true musical revolution happened well-over 20 years ago and many bands consign themselves happily to knock-off revivalism, Tapes 'n Tapes' ability to use old sounds to create an album wholly their own is something upcoming bands should take note of and something listeners should applaud'while, of course, vigorously nodding their heads to the beat, because that's what it's all about.
