TENNIS - Yours Conditionally LP

Label: Mutually Detrimental

After their third album, the slickly poppy Ritual in Repeat, Tennis did a bit of gentle rebooting. They shed a drummer, started their own label, and hit the open seas again to rekindle their songwriting flow, which had run ashore. They also took the wheel in the studio, throwing fancy producers overboard and halting the progression that saw each album they released becoming more and more slick. On Yours Conditionally, the duo of Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley aim for a much more homemade and immediate sound, similar to their debut, Cape Dory, but less bathed in reverb.

Moore's vocals sparkle like uncut diamonds on these tracks; she just keeps getting better with each album. The duo's dialed-in and note-perfect arrangements are lovely throughout the album and the songs are heartfelt and hooky enough that they'd be just fine in the hands of a less potent singer. Add in Moore and Tennis become off-the-charts impressive. The revamping of style and substance on Yours Conditionally is also something special, helping it to become the best record they've made so far.