Tennis / Cape Dory / Fat Possum Records
Romance and summer. It’s a duo brimming with more companionship than say, Joanie and Chachi or a distinguished PB&J sandwich. Fellow beach rock admirers have bathed in its glory, but no one does it better than Denver’s Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley, life-partners lighting retro pop with innocence and desire. Cape Dory is a lover’s tale: there’s minor heartaches (“Seafarer”) and glowing puppy love (“Waterbirds”, “Pigeon”). Don’t call Tennis recycled indie though.
The lovesick groove-pop feel abolishes being comprehensive but the technique works. Moore liberates her delicate jukebox voice often, allowing her to bloom like a young Connie Francis lost in a world of lust. “We can play in the surf holding hands and nap through the day on sun-bathed sands,” she croons on “Cape Dory” before erupting with addictive “sha-la-las”. Drawing from an eight-month long sailing trip, Tennis aren’t dying to grab your attention. They are a couple desperate for each other, pushing vintage tones to their peak and proving, despite their moniker, love indeed means something.
Download: “Marathon”, “Long Boat Pass”
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the pitchforkmedia review hits it on the head, beachy tweeish pop is getting tried and annoying, wooooosmack, shut up you precious cutesy pies