The husband-and-wife duo’s fourth album Yours Conditionally bears witness to evolution and, in some instances, the lack thereof: in the band, in the industry, in music as an art form.
Perform a simple Google of the band Tennis and you’ll find they are listed as producing ‘twee pop’ or ‘dream pop’. Although there is grounds for debate regarding what exactly either of these terms mean (if anything), following the release of the band’s fourth album Yours Conditionally one thing can surely be agreed upon by all: neither of these terms even get close to embodying the force the two-piece have become.
Some might be surprised to see the Denver duo described as a “force” and, perhaps on first appearances, they’d have every right to be so. The LP starts with lead single ‘In The Morning I’ll Be Better’, which itself begins with disco keys that have now become synonymous with the band and a main staple of why they are loved. Their prevalence in the song is an indication to the listener that the band are still very much embracing the sounds of days gone by, and that there won’t be any nasty surprises to come. It’s a similar story of embracing familiarities on ‘Matrimony’, whereby keys that wouldn’t be so far out of place at a small town fairground in the seventies supply the backbone of the song.
And yet ‘Matrimony’ also gives a clue as to the behemoth Alaina Moore is evolving into as a vocalist. It sees her take on the chorus with the kind of faux-confidence that’s forced-come-instilled into every X Factor winner, but with real genuineness. ‘Please Don’t Ruin This For Me’, meanwhile, sees her hit highs with such flawlessness that has seen some pop stars converted into greats.
By no means is this to say Yours Conditionally is a one-woman show. Alaina’s vocals are nothing short of exemplary, and they are backed up by instrumental and feeling from Patrick Riley that has the listener yearning for the good old days the band oft hark back to. Whilst ‘My Emotions Are Binding’ has modern-day tinges - a key effect is slightly jarring, for example, an adjective one wouldn’t often associate with Tennis’ typically smooth soulful pop - it still nonetheless reminds the listener of how great pop once was, and the absolute shitshow it has sadly become. One will find themselves humming along to the chorus days after first listen, a feat that doesn’t often happen within the band’s otherwise dreamy discography that’s so very easy to wistfully glide through.
Although album closer ‘Island Music’ is the wrong side of dream pop - it is neither intimate nor engaging, making for a forgettable finisher to an otherwise excellent album - ‘Ladies Don’t Play Guitar’ sees all that is great about the collective band and its individual members wrapped into an absolute cracker of a song, also revealing yet another reason why the outfit are a force to be reckoned with. The funk and buzz of the guitar are jiving, the vocals of the chorus are perhaps ironically sultry in tone, all whilst confidently discussing and disputing the supposed industry’s conversation of where women can and cannot contribute to music (take another look at the song’s title). Yours Conditionally isn’t only a case in point that women can and will contribute how and where they bloody well please, and absolutely smash it in doing so. It’s also a seriously impressive piece of work that tackles some weighty issues, showcases what the state of music once was and what it still should be, and supplies some of the best vocal and instrumental you’ll come across in a long time. It is proof that ‘twee pop’ - nevermind any kind of superfluous label - doesn’t even get close to encompassing the force Tennis have quietly become.
9/10
Published on: Raw Meat
