Tune into Tapes 'n Tapes

If Jack White wears his influences on his sleeve, the members of Tapes 'n Tapes have theirs tattooed on their foreheads. Almost begging listeners to judge the album by its cover, Tapes 'n Tapes intentionally imitates its previous album, The Loon, on its latest release, Walk It Off - neon Warhol-esque prints and all. And the actual content is pretty similar too: Frontman Josh Grier sticks to his droney, angsty guns, and the band weaves through similarly loopy melodies, resulting in an album sounding just as much like an indie potluck as its 2006 predecessor.

The downside: Listening to this album is like having a tune you cannot place perpetually stuck in your head. While this may seem tolerable at first, it greatly detracts from the listening experience of Walk It Off. Vocals switch inconsistently between what sounds like Isaac Brock (Modest Mouse) yelling, Connor Oberst (Bright Eyes) whining and even Frank Black (The Pixies) singing mid-jog. This isn't to say there is no innovation to be found. Heavy rhythmic bass and repetitive cymbals make most of the tracks impossibly catchy, lightening up the dark lyrical content.

To their credit, Tapes 'n Tapes has tightened and polished an already-clean sound; for example, tracks such as "Blunt" boast almost electronic-sounding drum fills, bass lines shine with each track, and the album comes off sounding more mature than ever.

The guttural single "Hang Them All" serves as a microcosm for the whole album, bashing about noisily behind Grier's anxious howls. The lyrics seem almost intentionally ambiguous, leaving the listener to wonder, "Are you gonna toe that line?/ Are you hailing?/ Are you failing?" And Tapes 'n Tapes has also learned to layer on this album (perhaps in an attempt to stave off their predictability?) - songs such as "Headshock" surge with busy instrumentals and scattered lyrics. Overall, the album gains momentum throughout, ending on a roaring, buzzing, one-note guitar riff on "The Dirty Dirty."

If you like creamy peanut butter and fear change, Walk It Off may be for you. After disappointing outputs from both The Flaming Lips and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, producer Dave Fridmann's abilities were called into question. However, Fridmann redeems himself (albeit slightly) with Walk It Off, managing to help Tapes 'n Tapes create enjoyable, if not exactly groundbreaking, music.

diversions@dbk.umd.edu

RATING: 3 STARS OUT OF 5