Review: Tennis - Ritual In Repeat
By Sydney Van Ness, Contributor
[Communion; 2014]
Rating: 7/10
Key Tracks: “Viv Without the N,” “Wounded Heart,” “Never Work for Free”
There are countless bands out there in this day and age using simple stripped down melodies and throwing a vocal track over them, thinking this sounds like the recipe for music. This results in many albums that are not necessarily “bad,” but compilations that sound like every other subpar indie record you’ve ever heard.
It’s hard to find a band that can take that typical mold and form it into something that is completely its own without understating or overwhelming. Tennis, a husband-and-wife-turned-musical-duo from Denver, has done exactly that with its newly released album Ritual in Repeat.
With Patrick Riley on guitar, his wife Alaina Moore on vocals and recently added James Barone’s percussion stitching everything together, Tennis brings catchy, emotionally charged songs to the listener. The group is confident enough to take that recipe of simple guitar and vocals and redefine it, adding hints of pop and funk throughout the tracks that make the album seem like something that could have been enjoyed decades ago.
Each song has its own strength and story that powers this album from beginning to end. What’s nice is that you can listen to the songs at random and still experience the album to its full. Each track is unlike the previous one.
“Wounded Heart” captures Alaina Moore’s hauntingly beautiful vocals. The light and subtle acoustic guitar compliments the mellow yet powerful lyrics. The music in the background never overpowers the voice and vice versa. The only problem with this song is its unfulfilling length--it is only a short minute and 49 seconds.
“Viv Without the N,” “Never Work for Free” and “I’m Callin’” show off more of the retro pop side of the album. This is done with strong drum and bass tracking that could be taken out of those songs and placed into any vintage pop track.
As a follow up to Young & Old, which was produced by Patrick Carney of The Black Keys, Ritual in Repeat truly does not disappoint. You cannot ignore how greatly the band has matured musically since it’s last album in 2012. The discipline and hard work paid off. It’s hard to find a record that you can listen to all the way through and enjoy every song, but this is indeed one of the few.
