Cape Dory by Tennis
LABEL: Fat Possum

Oh, summer, how I’ve missed your muggy, humid feel; your late night thunderstorms; your careless aura; and who can forget, the music you inspire. Yes, it seems as though this whole “riding the summer-waves” phenomena in music is continuing, but maybe not exactly for the better. With bands like Best Coast being probably the last of the “original” members of the summer tier, listeners are becoming a little weary of the redundancy.

“Alaina’s vocals are innocent, and lighter than a feather. She wails and “whoas” and “oohs” throughout most of the album, which makes her voice akin to a warm breeze.”

So what does this mean for Tennis, the husband/wife duo of Patrick Riley and Alaina Moore (who are absolutely precious, might I add)? After last year’s release of the tremendously addicting “Marathon” (wow, that chorus was amazing), Tennis has come up with their full-length debut, Cape Dory. It’s a less-than-thirty-minutes effort which, though at times redundant, is certainly fun to listen to.

Tennis uses a bright, 50’s doo-wop influenced sound that’s oft-catchy. Husband Patrick Riley’s guitars are a blast from the past that occasionally brings Ricthie Valens (among others) to mind. Alaina’s vocals are innocent, and lighter than a feather. She wails and “whoas” and “oohs” throughout most of the album, which makes her voice akin to a warm breeze. Inspired by an 8 month sailing adventure along the Atlantic Coast, Tennis plays the balmy, summery feel to its full extent. However, Tennis’ strengths can also be its weaknesses.

The album, though entertaining, has moments where it can fall flat. Tracks like “Pigeon” and “Baltimore” are standouts, but the members of Tennis have a hard time making their other songs unique. The lovely “Marathon” that listeners fell in love with over the past summer was reworked; unfortunately, the track lost some of its zeal. The original version on their first 7” was fuzzy and soft, and absolutely charming. Alaina’s organs stood out like a fire in the night in the original release. The newer version is cleaner, but it’s lost some of the magic that made it so endearing (but is nevertheless still a catchy tune).

Cape Dory sounds like it should, a fun, breezy collection of songs that are sure to make listeners warm during the frigidness of winter. Despite some flaws that includes a few dull moments, Cape Dory creates a relaxing environment. There are crests and there are troughs on this album, but its pleasure-making prowess creates waves that are just right for riding.


REVIEWED BY ADRIAN ROJAS
ADRIAN’S FAVORITE TRACKS:: “Baltimore” • “Cape Dory” • “Pigeon” • “Marathon”
Read more from Adrian on his blog, On the Importance of Being Rash


FREE MP3: “Take Me Somewhere”
FREE MP3: “Seafarer”
FREE MIXTAPE programmed by Tennis: “Six Months in a Leaky Boat”