- Walk It Off
Infobox Album |
Name = Walk It Off
Type =Album
Artist =Tapes 'n Tapes
Released = April 2, 2008
Recorded = Tarbox Road Studios in New York
Genre =Indie rock
Length = 44:06
Label =XL Recordings
Producer = Dave Fridmann
Reviews = *AbsolutePunk.net (61%) [http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=314917 link]
*Allmusic Rating|3|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:fxfyxz9jldae link]
*"Blender " Rating|2.5|5 [http://www.blender.com/guide/reviews.aspx?id=5059 link]
*"Billboard" (neutral) [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/content_display/reviews/albums/e3i431fdd0c9c1176b3599ff753dad01d66 link]
*BBC (negative) [http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/release/v29x/ link]
*"Drowned in Sound " (6/10) [http://www.drownedinsound.com/release/view/13137 link]
*"The Guardian " Rating|3|5 [http://music.guardian.co.uk/reviews/story/0,,2270716,00.html link]
*"Pitchfork Media " (5.9/10) [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/49805-walk-it-off link]
*PopMatters (6/10) [http://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/56323/tapes-n-tapes-walk-it-off link]
*"Rolling Stone " Rating|3|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/19149573/review/19935688/walk_it_off?source=album_reviews_rssfeed link]
Last album = "The Loon "
(2005)
This album = "Walk It Off "
(2008)"Walk It Off" is the second album from the
Minneapolis -based bandTapes 'n Tapes , released on2 April 2008 .While their previous album, "
The Loon ", was produced by the band's bassist and producer, Eric Applewick, and was recorded in a friend's unfinished basement studio, "Walk It Off" was recorded by producer,David Fridmann at Tarbox Road Studio inCassadaga, New York .cite web| last = Thompson| first = Paul| title = Tapes 'n Tapes' Grier Checks in From the Studio |publisher = "Pitchfork Media "| url =http://www.gigwise.com/news/40197/tapes-n-tapes-reveal-new-album-details| accessdate = 2008-02-02] The album has 12 tracks, although it was originally planned to have fifteen. [cite web| last = Kharas| first = Kev| title = Tapes ‘n Tapes ready to release new album |publisher = "Drowned in Sound "| url =http://drownedinsound.com/articles/2609295| accessdate = 2008-02-02] The first single released for the album was "Hang Them All".cite web| last = Thompson| first = Paul| title = Josh Grier Reveals All About New Tapes 'n Tapes Album| publisher = "Pitchfork Media "| url =http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/48143-josh-grier-reveals-all-about-new-tapes-n-tapes-album| accessdate = 2008-02-02]The critical reception to the album was generally favourable, scoring a rating of 61% from
MetaCritic .cite web|last =|first = |title =Walk It Off |publisher =MetaCritic |url =http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/tapesntapes/walkitoff?q=walk%20it%20off|accessdate = 2008-02-21]History
In March 2007, Josh Grier announced that a variety of new untitled songs had been written after an extensive bout of touring that began in January 2007.cite web| last = Ayers| first = Michael| title = Tapes N' Tapes Wraps Sophomore Album |publisher = "
Billboard "| url =http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003673923| accessdate = 2008-02-02] In an interview with "Billboard ", Grier said the band would wait until their April tour before playing any new material to make sure the lyrics were written, so the songs wouldn't sound like " [mumbled] words."cite web| last = Benson| first = John| title = Tapes 'N Tapes Hoping To Hit Studio In June |publisher = "Billboard "| url =http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003563281| accessdate = 2008-02-02] The band announced on October 25, 2007, that recording for "Walk It Off" was finished. Grier commented that the band tried to make sure each song had its own personality and sound. He explained that there would be material on "Walk It Off" that would differ to songs the band played previously, because the band intentionally experimented with new sounds.Recording
Josh Grier stated that "having a budget was awesome" as it allowed them to have a studio where the band could get the sounds they wanted, including real drum sounds, as last time they had recorded the drums "in a place that had six-feet ceilings".Grier said that the band wanted to make a rock record without any over-indulgences, and focused on creating music where the songs sounded like the band playing songs instead of a "crazy orchestration". He also said that he wanted the music to sound the same when performed in front of a live audience.
Grier stated that some of writing for the album took place on the two months before the band recorded in the studio. The recording process was said to entail Grier writing the song, adding "all the music" and then the band would meet up and practice together to "figure out everybody's part". Grier said the last part of the process would be to add the vocals of which he would "make words kind of to match the sounds" and finally make additions and amendments to the vocals or writing whilst the band were in the studio.
Grier said of the recording process that it was "cool" to be able to live at the studio as it enabled him to "work on stuff all day and mess around with it and work on stuff all night if [he] wanted to." However, by the end of the first couple of weeks, Grier said he was "definitely ready to be done in the studio for a little bit."
Lyrics
The album's lyrics were said to be different from previous songs, as the band wanted to "try some different things out" and "not do the same thing all over again." Grier voiced that the songs were written to have ambiguous meanings and were written with the intent of letting the listener interpret the meanings themselves. In addition, Grier said that there were some songs that he "spent a little bit more time on" and that he was "definitely happy with how everything turned out."
Album title
Grier said the title of the album was suggested by drummer, Jeremy Hanson, who liked the idea of Walk It Off".
Critical reception
The album had mixed reviews but the critical reception to the album was generally favourable. Based on 21 reviews, review aggregate website
MetaCritic reported a rating of 61%.AMG discussed the pairing of Dave Fridmann with Tapes 'n Tapes, and said that, "while teaming a quintessential indie rock producer like him with a band of indie rock classicists like Tapes 'n Tapes might seem like a good idea on paper, it doesn't quite work".cite web|last =Phares|first =Heather|title =Walk It Off review |publisher =
Allmusic |url =http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:fxfyxz9jldae|accessdate = 2008-04-22]Many reviewers compared "Walk It Off" to the band's debut album, "The Loon". Some reviewers said that "Walk It Off" was a poor follow-up, and said it differed to "The Loon"; "It's difficult to believe that "Walk It Off" is by the same band who released the innovative, abstract, and gritty debut album, "The Loon".cite web|last =Braham|first =Jessica|title =Walk It Off review |publisher =
BBC |url =http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/release/v29x/|accessdate = 2008-04-22] Another said, "Nothing makes as much of a visceral impact here as songs like "Insistor" did on The Loon [...] often, it feels like there's fog or a glass wall between the music and listeners' ears".But other reviewers felt that the album followed in a similar vein to their debut. "Billboard" said; " ["The Loon"] was characterized by fuzzy vintage cool, and it's followed here with a much more frustrated version of the same",cite web|last =Jones Wright|first =Lavinia|title =Walk It Off review |publisher = "
Billboard "|url =http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/content_display/reviews/albums/e3i431fdd0c9c1176b3599ff753dad01d66#|accessdate = 2008-04-29] whilst others said that "Walk It Off" was different to their debut but that the change in sound was positive; "It doesn't match its predecessor but it's a banquet of sound well worth feasting on."cite web|last =Harris|first =Gabe|title =Walk It Off review |publisher = musicOMH.com|url =http://www.musicomh.com/albums/tapes-n-tapes-2_0408.htm|accessdate = 2008-04-29]Track listing
#"Le Ruse" – 2:56
#"Time of Songs" – 3:42
#"Hang Them All" – 3:00
#"Headshock" – 2:48
#"Conquest" – 4:14
#"Say Back Something" – 3:12
#"Demon Apple" – 4:30
#"Blunt" – 3:10
#"George Michael" – 4:02
#"Anvil" – 3:34
#"Lines" – 4:03
#"The Dirty Dirty" – 5:02References
External links
* [http://tapesntapes.com Tapes 'n Tapes official website]
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