_Tape/Off - ...And Sometimes Gladness (04/12/2011)
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Brisbane based band Tape/Off was born through a series of freak encounters amongst complete strangers.
Drummer Branko Cosic founded his quartet of companions through gigs, festivals
and in one instance at the local McDonalds.
The band’s newly released EP ‘And Sometimes Gladness’ was recorded with producer Matt Redlich (Hungary Kids of Hungary, Ball Park Music, Bonfire Nights) and producer/musician Edward Guglielmino over two separate locations, which included rustic tool sheds and open fields. This served in providing a lot of the inspiration for the sounds on this EP. Together the band have created a tripped out fuzzy indie rock sound that’s as brash and loud, as it is at times melancholic.
The first track on the five track EP ‘Backseat’ is a mixture of crashing cymbals, distorted chords and rocky bass lines. I can only equate this track to the style of music bands such as Blur and Weezer are well known for, with some of Beck’s quirkiness and sorrow thrown in for good measure. The sentiment of the song seems to revolve around the frustration with being a spectator to someone else's indecisiveness and misdirection.
‘Something that we know’ has all the playfulness I would expect from Regurgitator or The Presidents of the Unites Stated of America, and has some interesting sounds including wailing reverb, static and radio wave sampling. The insistent yelling ‘Please play us something that we know!’ combined with the grungy rhythm of the music gives me the impression that this tune is guitar smashing worthy.
There are no silent gaps between most of the songs, the echo of the reverb seeps its way into the next track where things pick up again. The most chaotic scream fest is to be had on ‘Hell comes to Frogtown’ and ‘Botanical Gardens,’ whereas the last track ‘Happen Now’ seems the most reflective of all the songs.
The peaceful ambience of birds chirping is interrupted by a 1950’s effect drenched strum reinforced with clapping and doo-wop backing vocals. This track seems to be about the complacency and monotony of life reflected in the lyric ‘Waiting for something to happen now / just sit and watch the world spin around and nothing’.
This EP had an interesting variety of sounds and I would have enjoyed them more if less emphasis had been put on effects and distortion. At times the vocals seemed to get lost in the background and I couldn’t get the gist of what the song was about. In saying that, the band has done a great job of creating music that is able to suck the audience into the frenzied chaos, whilst letting them experience the emotional undercurrent.
Nazia Hafiz
The band’s newly released EP ‘And Sometimes Gladness’ was recorded with producer Matt Redlich (Hungary Kids of Hungary, Ball Park Music, Bonfire Nights) and producer/musician Edward Guglielmino over two separate locations, which included rustic tool sheds and open fields. This served in providing a lot of the inspiration for the sounds on this EP. Together the band have created a tripped out fuzzy indie rock sound that’s as brash and loud, as it is at times melancholic.
The first track on the five track EP ‘Backseat’ is a mixture of crashing cymbals, distorted chords and rocky bass lines. I can only equate this track to the style of music bands such as Blur and Weezer are well known for, with some of Beck’s quirkiness and sorrow thrown in for good measure. The sentiment of the song seems to revolve around the frustration with being a spectator to someone else's indecisiveness and misdirection.
‘Something that we know’ has all the playfulness I would expect from Regurgitator or The Presidents of the Unites Stated of America, and has some interesting sounds including wailing reverb, static and radio wave sampling. The insistent yelling ‘Please play us something that we know!’ combined with the grungy rhythm of the music gives me the impression that this tune is guitar smashing worthy.
There are no silent gaps between most of the songs, the echo of the reverb seeps its way into the next track where things pick up again. The most chaotic scream fest is to be had on ‘Hell comes to Frogtown’ and ‘Botanical Gardens,’ whereas the last track ‘Happen Now’ seems the most reflective of all the songs.
The peaceful ambience of birds chirping is interrupted by a 1950’s effect drenched strum reinforced with clapping and doo-wop backing vocals. This track seems to be about the complacency and monotony of life reflected in the lyric ‘Waiting for something to happen now / just sit and watch the world spin around and nothing’.
This EP had an interesting variety of sounds and I would have enjoyed them more if less emphasis had been put on effects and distortion. At times the vocals seemed to get lost in the background and I couldn’t get the gist of what the song was about. In saying that, the band has done a great job of creating music that is able to suck the audience into the frenzied chaos, whilst letting them experience the emotional undercurrent.
Nazia Hafiz