Album of the Week | Cape Dory - Tennis

For every Christmas in July, there must be an album like Cape Dory, the debut LP from Colorado couple Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley, better known as Tennis. The album [out now via Fat Possum records] accomplishes the same rare feat Surfer Blood did almost exactly a year ago: crystallize a chunk of summer adventure that even in the heart of winter transports the listener to a sunnier destination, somewhere off the coast of civilization. As previously noted, Tennis garnered as much buzz as any upstart band in 2k10, and with Cape Dory they validated the hype, producing one of the first great albums of 2k11.
[full review after the jump]

[photo by Joe McCabe, denverpost.com/reverb]

For a couple that described their musical endeavors as primarily a hobby, the songs that make up Cape Dory are written with natural pop sensibilities, recalling a 50's/60s surf-rock sound that broke through so strongly in 2k10. The difference with Tennis lies in the lyrical content, which only makes the endlessly catchy hooks and choruses more enjoyable. Alaina Moore croons throughout the record about the couple's seven-month ocean odyssey, relating their experience in the only way that anyone could understand it; earnestly and heartfelt. Opening track "Take Me Somewhere" highlights their exuberance at simply escaping the daily grind of landlocked life and reveling in the majesty that the ocean brings each day. "South Carolina" is a joyous snapshot that should be used in tourism ads for the state, or simply played on loop for any who frequent its beaches. On former single "Cape Dory" the playful exploration themes continue, as Moore sings 

We can play in the sun holding hands

And nap through the day on sun-bathed sands

We can live on an island of old conch shells

We can listen to the sounds of the ocean swell 

Companionship is another theme that shines through on this record that sounds effortlessly chill and perfectly cheesy. On "Pigeon" the listener may as well be slow-dancing at a 50's prom, [at sea of course.] The lyrical promise of always caring for one another displays yet again the couple's infectious affection, the greatest strength of the album's messages. While the sound will never be accused of being original, it simply does not matter when the songs are this fun and genuine. Overall the album is an early highlight of the musical calendar, especially recommended for someone you love.