2020
Swimmer – 86%
Denver's Tennis strike a fun balance of melody and intimacy on their breakthrough album. A lot of this type of music exists for sure- spaced out female vocals over keyboards- but what this band adds to their credit is a sort of break up album status that ranks with the greats. Songs like the opening motif "I'll Haunt You", the yearning but charming "Runner", and the pastoral "Swimmer" paint the landscape of escape from reality because the world we have built up for ourselves is such a mess. Then songs such as the standout, multifaceted "Matrimony II" and Sundays’ jovial channeling “Echoes” put the nails in the coffin. Lyric sample of the former: "I could never find something better/ I even changed my name/ By my side in every kind of weather/ I'll never be the same."
I'm not sure what is going on behind the scenes, whether it be an actual parting of a couple or just an imaginary scenario, but just as classic break up albums before such as Fleetwood Mac's Rumors, Richard Thompson's Shoot Out the Lights, and above all No Doubt's Tragic Kingdom, the group is channeling some deep inner pains. Alania Moore sings a lot like Gwen Stefani at her most touching, and the continuation of theme that has always worked in the album format proves strong once again here. It's a lethargic, haunting portrait.
Best Songs: Matrimony II, Runner, Echoes, Need Your Love
2023
Pollen - 87%
Tennis can be a deceiving band, and the songwriting team of real life married couple Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley fooled me on their last album where they sounded like they were breaking up but now sound more unified then over. On one level, they play very slick pop music full of electronic touches reminiscent of the sophistic-albums of latter day Fleetwood Mac meets something modern like Beach House. But honestly that’s too easy of a comparison. There are more too these songs, somethings that begs serious music fans to give it several spins. “Gibraltar” is catchy but also layered with dozens of sound effects, structural changes that are very difficult to pull off. “Glorietta” is the best songs on the album, rather hard hitting for an album like this, sandwiched between two of the most upbeat songs “Forbidden Doors” and “Let’s Make a Mistake tonight” which are their own brand of spectacular!
Strangely the album also gets better as it goes, and the last part of the album might be the most impressive. “Paper” feels like a song that’s been around for years. “Never Been Wrong” is tons of fun, channeling Abba like qualities and “Hotel Valet” and “Pillow for a Cloud” slowly reveal their melodic charms; lyric in the latter song “Time passing used to thrill me/ now it only terrorizes me” but played to music to dream too. This kind of music gives me hope that bands can still make albums full of great music on their own terms and be successful at building a following. Tennis grow in leaps and bound on this album, but they do it with the subtle nature of planting a tree to make the forest grow.
Best Songs: Glorietta, Pillow for a Cloud, Gibraltar, Hotel Valet