With ‘Young & Old,’ Tennis Provides A Slew Of Slow Summer Tunes

Tennis is a band that most of you have probably never heard of. Composed of Alaina Moore and her husband Patrick Riley, the duo released their debut album, Cape Dory, about a year ago. Since then, the group has done a small club tour and performed at many of the summer's biggest music festivals, including Chicago's Lollapalooza. They return this week with the release of their sophomore album, Young & Old. Upon first listen, Tennis sounds reminiscent of Feist or She & Him. Lead singer Moore has a really interesting tone that reminds me a lot of Ellie Goulding, minus the slight British accent. Like Goulding, the duo fits uniquely in the indie pop genre.

The album begins with one of the band's best tracks, "It All Sounds the Same." Lyrically, the track speaks of a relationship with lost potential, "When I say your name / I look for a change / But everywhere I go / It all feels the same." Although not groundbreaking, the lyrics are quirky and feel really authentic when sung by Moore.

The highlight of Young & Old is definitely "Petition." With an up-tempo beat that has a touch of jazz, Moore's voice soars on the track, singing, "Misinform the life all know / On my banner censor shows." While the lyrics may be open to interpretation, the song, as a whole, benefits from the urgency and emotion in the vocals. This welcome energy and spirit is unfortunately lacking on most of the rest of the record.

The only other track that rivals the freshness of "Petition" is "Traveling," which is an upbeat love song about falling in love. Moore euphorically sings in the passionate chorus, "Tell me where you need to go / Darling can we take it slow / Let's not stop / Please let's go / Say you're mine, say it slow / To be sure we know." This is one of the most lyrically complex songs on the album and it really shines amongst the rest of the album's lighter tracks.

Another song, "Robin," brings to mind a lot of the tracks from earlier No Doubt records. In fact, upon first listen, one might accidentally confuse Moore's vocals with those of No Doubt's Gwen Stefani. Like many of the earlier No Doubt recordings, the song is just as moody, especially considering the chorus, "No, you see, not all is as it seems / Fate you can't be real." The hopeless lyrics are really one of the album's biggest weaknesses.

One of Young & Old's greatest strengths is that all of the songs fit together nicely. The tempo and flow of the album really feels complete, despite the eclectic subject matter in the song lyrics. Despite the "completeness" of the album, however, it feels almost lackluster. There is nothing special about the album that could help Tennis potentially break out and garner a lot of new fans. Current fans of Tennis will definitely be pleased by Young & Old, but I fear that it won't get attention from many other people or musical outlets. Likewise, this is not the album that will boost Tennis into bigger venues. That being said, this album is probably better off being heard in a smaller, more intimate setting.

Subtle is the perfect way to describe Tennis. You are not going to be hearing their music in rotation at Top 40 radio stations, nor will you hear their music blasting in the clubs. Rather, Young & Old is the perfect album to play while you're sitting on the beach or lounging in the park. It's a relaxing album that strives on its quiet melodies. Those looking for a lighter collection of indie pop tunes should look no further than Young & Old.