Tennis- Cape Dory (Fat Possum-2011)
~ Gabe McBride
77
There’s been a lot of buzz around this Denver band going back to late last year, based on cassette and singles released in 2010. The story goes that married couple Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley went on a year-long yacht trip together and decided to start a band once they got back to dry land. This all makes sense once you listen to the nautically-themed Cape Dory the first time.
Tennis have crafted a thoroughly likable surf-pop record with simple instrumentation and upbeat, positive charm. Moore’s late 50’s/early 60’s girl-group vocals and Riley’s reverb saturated guitar, along with song titles like ‘Long Boat Pass’, ‘Bimini Bay’ and ‘Waterbirds’ invoke a summery, beachy atmosphere that sets well en-vogue with the blogosphere and speaks to their current popularity.
All that said, the band’s tuneful pop and simple melodies are very charming and disarming, even when Moore seems to run out of ideas for lyrics, and throws in a couple of “woah-oh-ohhs” and “dooby-do-wahs” to make up for it. These tunes aren’t particularly complex or earth-shatteringly original, and well, it might be “mom rock” as much as yacht rock; hell, Tennis might even be a country club Dum Dum Girls, but they will make you smile. If ‘Baltimore’ isn’t one of the best songs of the year, I will eat my hat.
For Fans of: Best Coast, Beach House
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