Album Review: Tenniscoats All Aboard

It seems like Japanese duo Tenniscoats have been around forever and influenced everyone, yet there are very few recorded releases that stand under their own moniker, preferring instead to collaborate with likeminded acts (such as the excellent Two Sunsets split with the Pastels in 2009). Yet last year keyboardist/vocalist Saya and guitarist Takashi Ueno brought out the fantastic Tokinouta and now waste no time in releasing All Aboard!

Technically a three piece for the album – they are joined by acclaimed Japanese drummer Ikuro Takahashi – Tenniscoats continue their journey of psychedelic-inflected guitar pop that weaves in and out of recognisable territory with ample amounts of quirk. The drums, whilst simplistic in nature, are an innate part of the drive of the tracks, lending them heft that often goes unheralded on other recordings. The album opens incredibly with a soft, nursery rhyme aping Korogari Mario, before pogoing into a dirty groove for Mosha Mosha Mo, with added whistling. Shinjitsu Man sees Ueno offering a languorous guitar line that melts into a whiny guitar solo that is the stuff of cracked genius. Simple Re could be a Minimum Chips cover except for Ueno's wistful saxophone.

Many of these tracks are more in the vein of Tortoise in their organic shape-shifting, albeit with much sunnier, garish overtones – except for penultimate track Yume Wa Sukkiri, a dreamlike languid number stretched over ten minutes that is the most beautiful track Tenniscoats have put to tape. Saya's simplistic, childlike vocals mirror the sing-song delivery of contemporary Satomi Matsuzaki (Deerhoof), yet the cartoon pop world that Tenniscoats inhabit is unparalleled. All Aboard! is another triumph from the idiosyncratic duo.