Cape Dory

As far as indie band backstories go, Tennis’ is so twee it makes my teeth begin to hurt.  A couple fresh out of college decides to fulfill one of their dreams by selling what they own, buying a sailboat, and sailing up and down the east coast for 8 months.  Their friends in Denver “can’t relate” to their experience, so they create songs together to create a shared memory of the experience.  It’s enough to make one gag.

And yet it’s to Cape Dory’s triumph that all this (and the kitchy album cover) all become ignorable because of how great the music produced is.  Heavy on the nautical and 60s girl-group references, the music Tennis makes is stripped bare to its simplest elements.  “Marathon” buzzes along, using just enough modern edge to make listening a thrilling experience.  In the weirdest mental connection I’ve thought of since comparing Arcade Fire’s “Sprawl II” to a Manheim Steamroller Christmas song, “Pigeon” sounds like it came out of MST3k fodder The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies‘ numerous music sequences, both in structure and general recording quality.  I mean this in the best way possible.  I’ve found myself returning to the song again and again to marvel in the way the background harmonies mesh effortlessly with the organ and guitar.

And yet the album is not without its flaws.  Despite no song being over 3:30 and the album itself being under 30 minutes, it feels endless at times.  I think I like this album better as ten individual songs that pop up on my playlist from time to time instead of as a cohesive whole.  It’s going to be interesting to see if/how the duo follow this up — will it be another album of sailing-inspired songs, or will they find another experience to share?

[rating: 3/5 stars]