Album Notes

In the desolate landscape of “modern” music, quality songwriting has been de-valued and the obtuse and esoteric is routinely passed off as innovation. But every once in a long while, an original record cuts through the fog to remind us that there is no substitute for killer hooks, whipcrack musicianship and three minute miracles. This year, that album is dig the new sounds of tenniscourts and it is exactly what we’ve all been waiting for.

tenniscourts. One word—lowercase, if you please.

This exciting new band is the direct descendant of power-pop greats like the Jam, the Buzzcocks and Cheap Trick, yet with an indisputably unique voice all its own. The 13 songs on “dig the new sounds” span all that makes pop music great—from the anthemic chorus of “Forever True” to the sugary confection of “Swimming Pool,” from the propulsive waltz of “27b” to the staccato handclaps of “Nicotine Nights,” this is the sound of a band that knows their way around a pop song. And let it be said, for the record, that is no small thing.

tenniscourts is the brainchild of one Wes Hollywood, well known to all Chicago rock fans for his Wes Hollywood Show combo, a fixture on the local scene for nearly a decade. The WHS released 4 CDs, culminating with the widely acclaimed Moonraker. As time went on, Wes noticed the widening gulf between the loose indie rock sound that was prevalent at the time and the succinct and economical pop songs that increasingly dominated his catalog. Deciding to follow his own voice rather than those around him, Wes formed tenniscourts out of the ashes of the WHS and released a self-titled CD in 2007. A hundred shows and a few lineup tweaks later, the group fully coalesced. Now joined by Spencer Matern’s effortlessly melodic basslines, the tasteful keyboard playing of Chris Thomson and the propulsive drumming of Tom Shover (Brown Betty, Fondly), Wes finally has the perfect accompaniment for his delirious pop masterpieces.

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Wes Hollywood, a well known Chicago rock veteran (The Wes Hollywood Show) always had a deep rooted sense of melodic rock. Here in his new band Tenniscourts, he has the energy built on the stylings of Elvis Costello and Cheap Trick.
Starting off with "Forever True" it lives on those loud heavy guitar riffs. "All I want is a swimming pool..." sets the theme for a blistering set of riffs on "Swimming Pool" and a touch of Ray Davies styled lyrical appeal about a kid's dream. This working man's touch to is also revealed in "Love In The Night." The mid-tempo "Falling" has some awesome guitar melody and is my favorite on this album, it has a lots of subtle details that makes it rise to greatness. Spencer Matern’s effortlessly melodic bass lines on "Crystal City" bring to mind Oasis (take that Noel Gallager). "Ordinary Life" bounces along with "la la la" choruses and could be a sequel to The Kinks "Well Respected Man" with Mr. Pleasant finally reaching millionaire status. The big riffs come back in "In The Scene" and no track here falls flat. Overall, an excellent album worth more than a few spins on the ole' ipod

-powerpopaholic