Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 27 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 27
  2. Negative: 0 out of 27
  1. Under The Radar
    60
    It’s not hard to grasp the appeal of their music; it’s just hard to understand why it’s eliciting such a strong response. [#14]
  2. The Loon owes so much to Stephen Malkmus and Frank Black that one imagines lawyers might be called.
  3. Q Magazine
    60
    At times they lack the focus to quite surmount their influences. [Aug 2006, p.117]
  4. Blender
    60
    Tapes 'n Tapes take not just their frazzled vocals but also their low-fi mixes, fuzzed-out guitars, semi-sequitur lyrics, falsetto refrains and general air of nearly falling apart from campus kings Pavement. [Aug 2006, p.114]
  5. To be fair, "The Loon" stops short of pastiche, but it is too transparently a paean to Tape 'n Tapes' heroes.
  6. We know this routine well; it's comfortable and pleasing to the ears. But throw on a disc by one of the originators (Pavement) or the cream of the modern crop (Wolf Parade) and Tapes 'n Tapes is trumped hands-down.
  7. They want to be every band to every bloke, shuffling between genres in an effort to jack all and master nada.
  8. [A] thoroughly underwhelming debut, an album that merely paints within the lines already drawn by Pavement and the Pixies.
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 58 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 44 out of 58
  2. Negative: 5 out of 58
  1. Mar 26, 2012
    9
    Sweet collection of slick, well crafted songs. Every one sounds different from any other; some are explosive, some are laid back and chill.Sweet collection of slick, well crafted songs. Every one sounds different from any other; some are explosive, some are laid back and chill. And it has its own unique energy running through. I've never heard anything quite like it. Full Review »
  2. Marc
    Mar 31, 2008
    10
    This is just really, really good. Pure and simple.
  3. EricL.
    Dec 31, 2007
    9
    It's awesome dude. As indie groups seem to be moving away from the fury, Tapes N Tapes keeps it alive with their Sonic Youth or Smashing It's awesome dude. As indie groups seem to be moving away from the fury, Tapes N Tapes keeps it alive with their Sonic Youth or Smashing Pumpkin screeches of distortion. The Loon kicks ass. Full Review »