Album of the Week
TENNIS
“Young & Old”
★★★
After last year’s hit CD “Cape Dory,” when this husband-and-wife band Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley found melodic and romantic inspiration on a sailing adventure, the pair make a Valentine’s Day return with another sparkling disc that celebrates devotion.
“Young & Old,” released today, lies somewhere between the guitar jangle of R.E.M. and the glistening retro of ’60s girl pop — accessible music with an old-fashioned verse-chorus-verse format.
One strong element of this 10-song disc is the dynamic between the simplicity of the music and the studied lyrics, where vocalist Moore dissects love. The album has huge emotional swings — especially dramatic is the distance between the tune “Dreaming,” where the melody is breezy as Moore sings about her mate’s potential, and the darker “Origins,” on which she sings to rhythmic piano riffs: “Sensitive heart, you’re doomed from the start.”
The honesty in the lyrics has an organic quality that makes you believe the emotions and situations are drawn from life experiences, and the melodies are basic enough to whistle.
Adding to the stylistic variety is a very light, yet appealing, R&B undercurrent, as heard on the track “Petition,” which percolates with a syncopated beat, mostly generated by the piano work and new drummer James Barone.
The record hits its romantic zenith on the song “Traveling,” which is a sap-free chronicle about tumbling head over heels in love as Moore concludes “This must be rare / ‘Cause nothing else could compare.” In Tennis the score is love — game, set, match.
Download of the Week
PHENOMENAL HANDCLAP BAND
“Following”
★★★ 1/2
PHENOMENAL Handclap Band, a Brooklyn sextet that has no clapping whatsoever on their new record, “Form & Control,” originally gained international attention with their 2009 club hit “15 to 20.” The standout track on the latest collection is another dance track called “Following” that’s destined to make hardwood floors bounce. Written by the band’s synthesizer whiz, Sean Marquand, and sung by Laura Marin, the single was penned in NYC after an all-night dance party. Some might hear elements of the dusty electronic new-wave band Human League, or even Chic in this one, but the rhythm-rich number has more of the Tom Tom Club’s frantic energy. It’s a fantastic dance track with a driving bass line that allows a seamless flow for Marin’s earthy vocals to transform into a robotic squawk by the track’s close.