Release Date: January 11Label: Ibid Records
For about a month during the summer of 2005, "blog bands" were the latest craze. The word-of-mouth buzz and snowballing popularity that the internet fostered allowed a handful of bands to raise themselves out of the morass of indie rock wannabes and get some national attention. The most famous of these bands was Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, who ended up selling hundreds of thousands of copies of their debut album out of their apartment. However, finishing second in the blog band race was Tapes 'N Tapes, a nervy little quartet out of Minneapolis, who scored major critical points with 2005's The Loon. Fast-forward to 2011 and we find Tapes 'N Tapes trying to put the pieces back together. Outside is their third album, following the disappointing and much-mocked Walk It Off. Most of the music press seems to have moved on, but Outside contains a surprising amount of charm for a band most have already written off. The band's signature thin guitar work and urgency has evolved a bit, allowing more keyboard texture and eclectic instrumentation. The band's most compelling element, though, remains frontman Josh Grier's voice, capable of lifting even the most generic of indie rock tracks into another level with its emotional immediacy and rough edges. The album's opener, "Badaboom," benefits the most from Grier's histrionics, as he switches gears halfway through, turning a fragile whisper into a defiant, raspy roar. Songs like "SWM," "Desert Plane" and the aptly named "Freak Out" further consolidate the band's strengths. Outside is far from perfect and Tapes 'N Tapes still have plenty of work ahead of them if they want to reestablish themselves as an above average band. However, it's an admirable step forward for a band that time is rapidly forgetting.
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