This foursome admitted its second album's theme is related to struggling forward (hence the title), which hints at the acidic attitude encased on its 12 tracks. Tapes 'N Tapes' breakout '06 debut was characterized by fuzzy vintage cool, and it's followed here with a much more frustrated version of the same. "Walk It Off" again plays at lo-fi and fiddles with styles, borrowing from Frank Black as often as from no one at all, but does it with less of the naïve charm. Small combinations of songs seem like a mixtape mistake, clashing like plaid and polka dots (try the hairy, unison-voiced "Le Ruse" with the ghost-drummed "Say Something Back" and the weird space slam "Blunt"). Still, the album as a whole finds a strange homogeny, and Tapes 'N Tapes keep exploring hip, leaving everyone guessing as to whether they meant to make such a confusing outfit or the pieces were just on sale.—Lavinia Jones Wright