Tennis System is a band capable of infusing a hardcore, chronically punkish edge with seeping shoe-gazing. They merge angsty post-punk sounds, with indie lyrical undertones. Think, an eclectic mixture of Interpol and Joy Division; a mixture that sounds undoubtedly peculiar on paper, but turns out to just about work. The only outright criticism is that we needed a few breathers, our balance needed resetting.
The six-minute opener, ‘Shelf Life’, crams in more nasty guitar work and chaotic drum-beats than I knew likely, or even possible for an opening track. The soft-hard dynamic gets you movin’ and groovin’ – scrapping the unspoken tactic of easing the listener into an album – plunging you into snarling grooves and swirling 80s melodies. It’s effectively a chunky taster of what the rest of the album entails: a compound of dreamy distortion and explosive instrumentals. But as good as this is, there’s not much more to it.
The title track, Lovesick, sums up the whole album. It begins with delightfully misleading lazy keyboard notes. You get the impression that it’s going to be one of those mellow outro tracks; you know the ones which leave you in a post-punk comedown glow… But wait, nope, you’re wrong. Soon enough, it launches into a frenzy of gritty riffs that’s fairly relentless. You’re left throughout 5 minutes – and the rest of album for that matter – with little time to step back from the hardcore side, and reach up for a gasp of breath. Instead, you’re shoved into the pool of shoegaze and forced to revel in the contradictory dynamic… enjoyably so, but its a heavy listen.
Haiku Review
Sound is all good stuff
but could do with a break now,
my head is hurting
Listen to Tennis System on Spotify and Apple Music
