Freak Out – Tapes ‘n Tapes Freak Out – Tapes ‘n Tapes (Free Download / Buy)

Remember back in the early days of blog buzz bands when we were all still getting used to the fact that these unknown bands could set the world on fire? Remember back in 2005, when Tapes ‘n Tapes (@tapesntapes) set the indie world alight with their spectacular debut The Loon, an album with such swagger and potential that bloggers thought they found the second coming of Pavement [1]? They were forgotten almost as quickly as they came; because Internet fandom is a fickle whore, not from a lack of talent or a great sound.

Tapes ‘n Tapes third record Outside was self-released and self-produced, a formula that helped them gain such notoriety with The Loon.  While it doesn’t have the same swagger and vitriol as The Loon, it is a solid indie rock record. Outside doesn’t seem so obviously influenced by Pavement and The Pixies, and possesses more of the melodic and hook-driven tendencies of The Walkmen or Modest Mouse.  The instrumentation is spectacular, moving from crisp guitar and rhythm of “Freak Out” to the more distorted oddities like the organ filled “The Saddest Key of All.” Through it all Josh Grier’s sneering vocals tie the songs together, taking them from standard indie rock faire to something worth coming back to again and again.

Outside is the sound of a band that was lost finding itself again, the sound of a band that is had been written off as pure buzz showing why we took notice in the first place.

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[1] This was before the whole reunion thing was happening, you know, the stone ages.