Tennis: Ritual In Repeat

Ryan Reed on September 25, 2014

On their third LP, husband-wife duo Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley continue to churn out sleek, eager-to-please indie pop—the kind of stuff you’ll never want to turn off but only occasionally crank up. Ritual In Repeat kicks off with “Night Vision,” an ambling rocker built on psychedelic synth fuzz and a nervous bass guitar drone, with Moore’s dewy alto circling overhead like the world’s gentlest vulture. While that track offers added muscle (courtesy of dream-team producers Patrick Carney, Richard Swift and Jim Eno), Tennis sound more comfortable veering closer toward straight-ahead pop: “I’m Callin’” is a yacht-rock stunner with a sensual “hey-hey” chorus; “Viv Without the N” is a twangy, open-road ballad with enough hooks for three tunes. But the biggest breakthrough is New Wave-standout “Never Work for Free,” which finds Moore showcasing her vocal acrobatics over a nimble groove that recalls Donna Lewis’ ‘90s one-hit wonder “I Love You Always Forever.”

Artist: Tennis
Album: Ritual In Repeat
Label: Communion