The consensus seems to be that either it’s not as good as the debut, that the debut was never good in the first place (which I agree with) and that other bands are doing this sort of thing better. I’ve seen She & Him mentioned twice. But She & Him are doing a totally different thing, a pure homage to the ’50s with more of a rustic, Nashville quality, while Tennis’ new album is an update — it’s the ’50s through the edgier lens of the rock era, the Zombies and the Who. This all sort of has the air of avoiding a person at a party you had a crush on, but then things got weird and you’re trying to hook up with the host, anyway, which is how a lot of “criticism” feels these days.
It’s a very charming record, with much sharper songwriting than the debut. They sound like a band with something to say now, or at least the skill set to eloquently say a thing that still bears repeating. Give it a try.
