Customer Reviews

Loon

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Loon swings into full blast on the ironically named Just Drums with a swinging guitar riff, driving drums, and stylishly EQed anthem vocals. This energy never wanes throughout the album. All the songs are strong, and flow thoughtfully into each other. Tapes 'n Tapes never fails to bring maximum energy, and this is especially evident at their live shows.

The songs are melodic, hard-driving, and not a single note is wasted in the delicate yet aggressive balance between keys, guitar, bass, and drums. The musicianship is strong all the way around, but the drummer shines especially, with his virtuosic yet nonchalant style. The guitar and drums take turns defining and then bending around each song's rhythm.

The album weaves together indie rock, early 90s hard rock, post-ska, and a little bit of alt-country (Insistor), but this is not a band you can simply define in terms of other bands or other sounds. They build a sound that is all their own. The very last song, Jakov's Suite, is a melancholy anthem taking the album out with everything it has to offer: driving energy, intensely contrasting guitar tones, surprisingly musically mature chord changes and song structure, all culminating in the sad and soaring moan: "You don't move, you don't move, when you don't move, you don't move away!"

Probably doesn't deserve the 5 stars I gave it. But I wanted to counter the 1 star it had from that other guy cause it certainly deserved more than that. I overdosed pretty quickly on this CD. It's not Pavement meets Beach Boys. Those are better. But it got stuck in my head. There is an energy to it that reminds me of Arcade Fire (even if the music isn't quite the same). Omaha, Manitoba, Insistor are the songs that stand out to me.

Round about 2005, 2006 Tapes N Tapes was on the keyboards of internet musical bloggers everywhere and their album "Loon" is what folks were raving on about. Was it worth it? Has it stood up to the test of 3 odd years? Listening to it now, I'd have to say there's plenty of good music to be had behind the buzz. It's all very Modest Mouse-ish and zany shout alongs with tight jumping almost nervous music to move it along.

The highlights, of which there are a few, for me is this little track 3 number, "The Insistor." Lead singer Josh Grier and backing band vocals intone, "And when you rush I'll call your name like Harvard Square holds all 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 and know that I will be your bail bond. Mickey the ol' lithper said hey there hey mister my cold razor's edge will meet you in the light. When you go and you're on stage Is your heart still filled with rage?" I'm the guy that pays attention to lyrics and how they are written. I really like the "Harvard Square hold all inane," and the oh so funny, "Mickey the ol' lithper," 'cuz you know, he's got a lisp and then the Tapes are singing it with a lisp. Good humor in a great song. For some reason the Violent Femmes comes to mind listening to this song.

And then there's the deceptively initially quiet and brooding "10 dollar ascots," track 8. It starts with a simple slow bass line and then layers a simple unfuzzed guitar lilting along on the top of it. Snares and top hat kick in for a bouncing jazzy number. The singing starts smokey lounge smooth, "Ten gallon ascots and booze on your shirt I'll come to dinner and fight off the flirts. I know I know of wash away weekends they leave me cold so cold so cold..." and with that you are suckered in to thinking oh another slow slightly boring atmospheric song. And then the big reveal, the big fuzzed out guitars start getting all chunky on you and then we have Pixies like angry screaming, "Your hats they long of range they've sung file out at night
shock steers with fright the show the drone the talk the call the need the snow I'll show you home." And you check your MP3 to see if Frank Black isn't making a guest appearance but nope, its the Tapes. If I was Canadian, I'd be asking, "What's that aboot?," but I'm not so I just say, very nicely done Tapes N Tapes.

And maybe there's the most likely radio/download hit, the bouncy guitar chop of track 1, "Just Drums." Here we get some nervous edgy jangly high vocals in the stanzas mixed in with some type of radio static like spoken voiceovers. Interesting little song. And then Tapes N Tapes cuts it down to the simple guitar drums repetitive axe chop single note hardness. Along the way there's a drum solo fill that gives away to an understated bassline. And just as they've deconstructed the song, it builds back up to a nice crazy crescendo. "Come to me in metaphor. We've met before and I was all in spades.) Reeling in fog. Kneeling in fog. Reeling in fog. I've been really better under lock." So very interesting.

This will be a band to keep your ears open for for some time to come. Great album and they are just getting started. --mmw

Great album. The Pixies/Pavement/Modest Mouse comparisons are deserved but a little shallow. (I love those bands, but am sick of the pigeon-holing). The lyrics are cryptic, weird, and passionate. The production is low-fi, but works well with the general aesthetic of the recording. Nice mixture of sounds--a twinkling keyboard here, a few chimes there--to balance out the garage tones. The best part of the album is the composition of the songs--great melodies and enough left-turns to keep things interesting.

I'm not sure why some reviewers say that this recording is rough around the edges; the band is incredibly tight. I think a lot of them have confused the musicianship of the band with production values. The songs could hardly be played better, or with more energy.

The highlights: Insistor, In Houston, Manitoba and Omaha aren't let down by the album's less conspicuous tracks. The rockabilly-driven Insistor blends well into the trippy Crazy Eights instrumental. The western swing of 10 Gallon Ascots plays well with the melancholy of Omaha. This is a very well constructed and inspired album. It will be compared to Murmur and Slanted and Enchanted when more people hear it.

Tapes 'n Tapes have been around for some time now. They've made several singles and have finally got to getting their full-length release. Following several band member changes the group has taken a turn. But not for the worse.

The Loon is chalk-full of suprises and unpredictability. It's this loss of footing that makes it what people got all excited about the group in the first place. Although some may regard this multi-faced-ness with crap, others may differ. "10 Gallon Ascots" stands out as proving this example. For a more easier, less bumpy ride, "Crazy Nights."

As a whole the album poses itself as step in an innovative and slightly candid manner.

What is there to say that hasn't already been said about this album? I will say that this album here is one of indie rock's finest.. However their second album, Walk It Off, was a disappointment.. The third album I haven't got a chance to listen to it..

I keep hearing references to Pavement. No, I'm sorry if you like Pavement, I think they sound nothing alike. Tapes 'n Tapes are not typical. They are in my opinion an extremely talented band with many facets. Quite possibly my favorite band on the scene today. I know this has been said & said, but I really mean it as a musician & a follower of current bands, If you don't like them....you need to listen again.....or maybe your taste in music just sux....sorry but this band is truly amazing & it kills me how very unappreciated they are.

i know i'm being a heretic here, but the comparisons between this album and stuff by the pixies or stephen malkmus don't make sense to me... i'd way rather listen to this! if you are deciding between this and walk it off, i'd say get this...and if you can see these guys live it is worth it. i love the zvex fuzz!

Actually, I heard "Just Drums" before I heard the rest of the album and couldn't stop listening to it, so I finally bought the whole album. I've heard the sound on newer album is a bit more refined, which makes me a little leery since the non-refined sound makes it really interesting. If you also enjoyed the basement-y quality of "Just Drums", you'll like the whole thing too.

I am amazed at how great this album is. It's simply an album you can listen to over and over and over and never tire of. The melodies are just this side of catchy yet not so catchy that hearing them for the 90th time brings nausea. Tapes 'N Tapes very much do have the spirit of Talking Heads -- experimentation where the results are fascinating yet still have songs as the result vs. experimentation that may be different but is incredibly boring and is different just for the sake of being different (I'm talking to you, TV on the Radio). To point out certain tracks would be a crime, because all of them are excellent, soaring, majestic and effortlessly beautiful. Highly highly recommended.