Pollen is the sixth studio album by the musical duo Tennis, released via their own label Mutually Detrimental on February 10, 2023.[2] It was preceded by the singles "One Night with the Valet",[3] "Let's Make a Mistake Tonight",[4] and "Forbidden Doors".[5] The album received acclaim from critics.
| Pollen | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 10, 2023 | |||
| Genre | Pop[1] | |||
| Length | 35:23 | |||
| Label | Mutually Detrimental | |||
| Producer |
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| Tennis studio albums chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Pollen | ||||
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Critical reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 76/100[6] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [7] |
| Exclaim! | 8/10[8] |
| Gigwise |   [9] |
| Pitchfork | 6.7/10[10] |
| Slant Magazine |  [11] |
Pollen received a score of 76 out of 100 based on seven critics' reviews on review aggregator Metacritic, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[6] Reviewing the album for AllMusic, Tim Sendra opined that Pollen's main point of difference in Tennis' catalogue is its "occasional distorted guitar, a little more bump in the rhythm section, and overall punchier production" and that while the "small deviations might feel drastic at first, [...] the sum of the parts is still as pleasant as ever once the album ends".[7]
Everett Amber Ellis of Exclaim! found the album, along with its predecessor Swimmer, to be "indebted to the sparkle of the '80s—albeit the more restrained and sophisticated side of a decade infamous for its more gaudy tastes", and "front-heavy as most Tennis albums are", writing that its "highlights lie largely in its singles".[8] Evie Gower of Gigwise described the album as "filled to the brim with dream pop synthesisers and a melding of strings, a mixture of classical and contemporary components that make Alaina Moore's voice as ethereal as ever", as well as a "funky backdrop of various instruments and vocal tones" with lyrics that feel like "a love letter to the highs and lows of life".[9]
Eric Mason of Slant Magazine wrote that Moore and Riley "take one step closer to the present by interspersing their 20th-century callbacks with nods to turn-of-the-millennium pop-rock" on Pollen, finding the "common thread" that ties the album's songs together is "escapism, whether it be the isolation of the open sea or the insular behind-the-scenes goings on of a hotel".[11] Adlan Jackson of Pitchfork felt that the duo's "persistent melodies quiver with the same earnestness as always, and their self-production continues to hit its stride", elaborating that "the overall airiness on Pollen gives the sense that Tennis are continuing to have a blast making music that glides from one hook to the next."[10]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by and produced by Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Forbidden Doors" | 3:54 |
| 2. | "Glorietta" | 4:01 |
| 3. | "Let's Make a Mistake Tonight" | 4:14 |
| 4. | "One Night with the Valet" | 1:53 |
| 5. | "Pollen Song" | 3:53 |
| 6. | "Hotel Valet" | 3:54 |
| 7. | "Paper" | 3:00 |
| 8. | "Gibraltar" | 3:57 |
| 9. | "Never Been Wrong" | 3:26 |
| 10. | "Pillow for a Cloud" | 3:11 |
| Total length: | 35:23 | |
Personnel
edit- Alaina Moore – vocals, synthesizers, piano, guitar and production
- Patrick Riley – guitars, bass guitars, synthesizers, auxiliary percussion, drum programming and production
- Steve Voss – drums and engineering assistance
- Griffith James – ambient noise on "Gibraltar"
- Alan Sumler – Latin translation on "Never Been Wrong"
- Claudius Mittendorfer – mixing
- Joe LaPorta – mastering
- Luca Venter – artwork
- Allison Freeman – artwork
Charts
edit| Chart (2023) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Top Album Sales (Billboard)[12] | 65 |
References
edit- ^ Pollock, Jim (February 9, 2023). "Review: Tennis continues to chart its own course on 'Pollen'". Associated Press. Retrieved February 12, 2023 – via ABC News.
The nine meticulously crafted pop songs on this album come across light and breezy
- ^ Kenneally, Cerys (January 10, 2023). "Tennis unveil new single 'Let's Make a Mistake Tonight'". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
- ^ Russell, Scott (November 15, 2022). "Tennis Announce New Album Pollen, Share Dreamy Lead Single 'One Night with the Valet'". Paste. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
- ^ Golsen, Tyler (January 11, 2023). "Tennis share new single 'Let's Make a Mistake Tonight'". Far Out Magazine. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
- ^ "Indie-Pop Duo Tennis Release New Single 'Forbidden Doors'". Wonderland Magazine. February 2, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
- ^ a b "Pollen by Tennis Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
- ^ a b Sendra, Tim. "Tennis – Pollen Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
- ^ a b Ellis, Everett Amber (February 8, 2023). "Tennis Move Forward While Looking Back on the Glitzy 'Pollen'". Exclaim!. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
- ^ a b Gower, Evie (February 9, 2023). "Album Review: Tennis – Pollen". Gigwise. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
- ^ a b Jackson, Adlan (February 13, 2023). "Tennis: Pollen Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
- ^ a b Mason, Eric (February 6, 2023). "Tennis Pollen Review: Elegiac Escapism That Nods to the Recent Past". Slant Magazine. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
- ^ "Top Album Sales: Week of February 25, 2023". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2023.