aaamusic | On 30, May 2011

Even the most hardcore musical modernists struggle to resist an occasional trip down nostalgia lane and Tennis’s new album Cape Dory provides a perfect vehicle for such a journey: whether harking back to the 60’s or 70’s or simply to the months Patrick Riley and Alaina Moore spent at sea searching for inspiration for the record, a yearning for the past is palpable throughout the release.

The record retains a charming, homemade sound that perfectly complements its nostalgic vibe. The music is simple old-fashioned ‘girl-group’ pop with a sense of innocence at its heart. The music and its message is straight forward and whilst references are made to Riley and Moore’s voyage across the open seas, it remains fundamentally an honest and romantic record (a concept that is alien to my cynical twenty-first century ears and ironic tastes.)

Moore’s voice is perfectly suited to the simple, nostalgic style of music and songs such as Take Me Somewhere and Waterbirds sum up the chilled, romantic vibe of the record with hooks that entice you whilst allowing you to absentmindedly sail away from the music and reality into the ocean. The album, like the ocean itself, moves intermittently from calm, slow numbers such as Pigeons to choppier tracks such as Marathon.

The nautical vibe that Tennis have aspired for cannot go unmissed. However, there is something missing from this release, it lacks the punch of modernity and the spark needed to sustain nostalgia; the record remains fairly flat throughout despite the occasional promise of something more. Although I found this record utterly charming first time round, it lacked the underlying personality to sustain my interest and ultimately left me drifting back to modern life.

Author: Alice Cuddy