Laundromat isn't the sort of CD that one expects from three rockers who have jazz backgrounds. When jazz improvisers embrace rock, one tends to expect something along the lines of Sting -- in other words, sophisticated pop/rock with some type of jazz influence. But listening to Laundromat, there is no indication that singer/guitarist Greg Tuohey, bassist Kris Bauman, and drummer Jochen Rueckert -- the three New Yorkers who comprise Tennis -- have a history of playing jazz. Laundromat is alternative pop/rock with a strong ...
Read More
Laundromat isn't the sort of CD that one expects from three rockers who have jazz backgrounds. When jazz improvisers embrace rock, one tends to expect something along the lines of Sting -- in other words, sophisticated pop/rock with some type of jazz influence. But listening to Laundromat, there is no indication that singer/guitarist Greg Tuohey, bassist Kris Bauman, and drummer Jochen Rueckert -- the three New Yorkers who comprise Tennis -- have a history of playing jazz. Laundromat is alternative pop/rock with a strong punk influence, and Tennis' confessional, introspective, angst-ridden lyrics are straight-up emo. However, Tennis isn't just another group of knee-jerk blink-182 imitators. Tuohey favors the sort of bratty vocal style that a lot of emo bands are known for, but musically, Tennis isn't as aggressive or hard-rocking as blink-182, Fenix TX or the Sloppy Meat Eaters. And instead of blindly emulating those type of bands, Tennis also incorporates elements of Weezer and Nirvana. Although slightly uneven, Laundromat is generally decent -- if you aren't completely burned out on emo lyrics, Tuohey's aching vulnerability does have a certain charm. Most of the time, he sings about being constantly disappointed when it comes to dating and romantic relationships. Lyrically, this 2003 release is dark, but it's dark-humored; Tuohey often sounds like he thinks that dating is a lost cause, although he manages to bring a healthy dose of humor to his angst and cynicism. Laundromat isn't perfect, but the 33-minute CD has more ups than downs and is a cut above many of the other emo angst-fests that came out in 2003. ~ Alex Henderson, Rovi
Read Less
