Tennis

Pollen – Mutually Detrimental

A lot has been written about the husband/wife duo, Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley – the months spent on a boat together while writing their first album, Cape Dory, to more recently their turn at producing their last two albums, 2017’s Yours Conditionally, and 2020’s Swimmer. They haven’t veered much from their initial disco-indie, soft rock sound, but the familiarity is what makes Tennis so great. You know what you are getting – funky synths in a lo-fi dance vibe, set up as modern yacht rock. Dreamy bedroom pop gems!

Syrupy vocals that play gently along with loungey guitars – as evidenced in track 3, “Let’s Make A Mistake Tonight,” showcase the symbiotic relationship between Moore and Riley – in perfect sync across every track. Track 4, “One Night With The Valet,” has Moore on the keys, laying down a funky pace, with synth percussion enveloping it – complete with a spoken word interlude, so very late 80s-like. The first track, “Forbidden Doors,” could place on any of their other six albums, as it is stereotypical Tennis. My favorite here is the slower based “Pillow For A Cloud,” as it showcases a 60s sensibility and twee sentimentality. The acoustic guitar on this track is light and shines underneath until the song shifts towards the middle into a dream pop fuzz.

Favorites on here: 10**, 4**, 1**, 3**, 9*, and 7*.

– (h)earwitness