Tennis
Young & Old
Fat Possum
Mar 16, 2012
Tennis
Is it insulting to call a band twee if they’re named after a sport that requires white attire and features a singer with a voice so sugar-spun she could go head-to-head with Camera Obscura’s Tracyanne Campbell? On their second album, husband and wife team Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley continue to churn out likeable, featherweight pop—doing nothing to dissuade legions of critics from slapping them with comparisons to their indie pop forefathers.
This time out, Tennis is joined by producer Patrick Carney of The Black Keys—who has coaxed their project out of the bedroom recording studio without sacrificing any of its scrappy charm. “Origins” features pounded keys, skating along a Brian Wilson-ready refrain and the world’s least ironic saxophone. “Petition” includes a pronounced R&B swagger—again performed with the utmost sincerity. The band has seemingly never met an element of nostalgia they didn’t love. Winsome girl group-style longing of “Take Me to Heaven?” Check. Fluffy, 1960s folk-base of “It All Feels the Same?” Check. Lyrics about love, like, and obsession on… well, any number of the album’s 10 tracks? Check, check, and check.
With all the staunchly retro reference points, it’s difficult to call Tennis a revelatory band. Cute yes. Enjoyable? Without a doubt. Heck, you could even call Young and Old a twee album if you’re so inclined. Just be sure to also call it an incredibly good time. (www.myspace.com/tennisinc)
Author rating: 7/10
Average reader rating: 8/10
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Comments
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March 24th 2012
6:51am
Nice combination ! Young and Old I’ve lots of fun to read this such a humorous article. Thanks
June 4th 2012
1:14am
The rules of tennis have not changed much since the 1890s. Two exceptions are that from 1908 to 1961 the server had to keep one foot on the ground at all times, and the adoption of the tie-break in the 1970s.
June 7th 2012
12:49am
Tennis is enjoyed by millions of recreational players and is also a hugely popular worldwide spectator sport, especially the four Grand Slam tournaments (also referred to as the “Majors”): the Australian Open played on hard courts, the French Open played on red clay courts, Wimbledon played on grass courts, and the US Open played also on hard courts.