On White Excellence.... | Pollen by Tennis Review
Reviewing the newest Tennis album Pollen
Hi everyone if you’ve checked my Instagram or Twitter, you may have seen that Davey is going through some health issues right now. I set up a Go Fund Me to help with the outrageously expensive health expensive and it already hit its goal!!!!! Thank you again to everyone who donated!! I cannot thank you enough and will keep everyone updated on what’s going on with Davey! I had already written like half of this, so I thought I’d just finish it while I have to wait to take Davey to the vet. The Go Fund Me takes a couple of days to hit your account (annoying) so he will have to go in a couple of days but I’m so happy I’ll be able to figure out what’s going on at some point in the near future!! I am so blessed to have so many amazing friends who care about Davey. I will never forget this <3
P.S. All the album reviews will not be track by track. This one is just so short that I thought it’d be fine.
If you have never heard of Tennis that’s okay! Now you know! The members of the band are a married couple named Alana and Patrick they are deeply in love and have been together for over 10 years. After taking a month-long sailing trip in 2010 they were inspired to make an album inspired by that trip. That was the origin of their album Cape Dory and the beginning of their musical journey together and they’ve gone on many sailing trips since. Alana also has naturally super curly hair which makes her have an afro and I love that so much lmfao. They make music that I would describe as indie, beachy, romantic, witty, spunky, and overall, just good. The drums in their song Need your love is one of my favorite drums in a song ever. Listening to their music makes me just wanna shout “you better play them instruments white people!!!” Runner is one of my favorite love songs of all time mostly because it is so sexy and has this beat that literally makes you feel like you’re reaching an orgasm. Not to mention the juxtaposition of Alana’s sweet airy voice on all their songs and a man who is seen is not heard! I literally could not love this band anymore that I already do.
I have been a fan of Tennis since my freshman year of college at The University that will not be named. Shout out to my friend Austin for showing me their videos in your dorm room. I associate their albums Ritual in Repeat and Yours Conditionally with that first year of college. The entirety of Yours Conditionally is currently in the top 20 of my most listened to songs of 2023 on Apple Music right now mixed in with my favorite songs from SOS. Then with their release of their 2020 album Swimmer I went from a fan to a full-fledged stan. I spent most of 2020 listening to that album on repeat amongst Pang by Caroline Polachek and various Mariah songs (The Roof was my most listened to song that year. If you don’t know it, you’ve got homework 👩🏿⚖️)
So, it is safe to say that when they announced Pollen I was over the moon. I mean you can only listen to Runner so many times before you start to wonder when they’re going to make another album. Thankfully my imaginary mom and dad graced us with 10 more songs of indie-pop perfection. I personally think that when you look up white excellence (positive) in the dictionary you see their faces.
So without further ado…..
Pollen by Tennis
1. Forbidden Doors
It’s nearly impossible to have an opening song as good as In the Morning I’ll Be Better, so I wasn’t even thinking it was going to top that. I’d say this one is probably my 3rd favorite after In the Morning I’ll Be Better, and I’ll Haunt you. I could see it moving up one day though! The drums on this song may my favorite on the album. The way she says “first second that our eyes met” gets stuck in my head all the time now. They cant make an un catchy hook if they tried.
When you and I go knocking on forbidden doors
That's when we go falling through the floor
Off the bat it giving me biblical imagery. I noticed a lot of bible imagery in this album. It’s kind of a running thesis through the album that Alana is grappling with religion in some way. Continuing from “if I become a pillar of salt/ I know that it was all my fault” in Runner from Swimmer. Which is a reference to Lot’s wife in the story of Sodom and Gomorrah in the book of Gensis. Overall, I say a strong opening to the album that really sets the tone for what you’re about to get sonically.
2. Glorietta
Wow, what a beautiful name for a girl! The guitar at the beginning always throws me off. Like it gives a little hoedown and I’m always like ??? ohhhhh for like 3 seconds. However, I do love this song!
Their patriotic displays are so loud
I can't see the sunset through the sound
You can't resist the urge to dominate
Like it was a biblical mandate
Alana paints such a clear picture of what she’s singing about on this song, and I find it very refreshing. She has always had an issue with chauvinism and the patriarchy. She adds a grievance with patriotism to the list on this song. One of the other clear examples of Alana being annoyed with men is best heard on one of my all-time favorite Tennis songs My Emotions Are Blinding where she sings the entire song sarcastically and then finally at the end sings “Its metaphorical!” I love that song so much because it just really makes me laugh. Like she was so over it!!! I need to go look up why she was mad at in that song because whoever she made it about must have really pissed her off chile lmfao. Anyways, this song gives that same subtle anger and sarcasm and for that reason I love it!
3. Lets Make a Mistake Tonight
The end of this song is one of my favorite parts of the entire album. The chorus is just so good like I feel her singing this one with my entire soul.
You and I making a statement.
I just love this notion of just by being with someone you are going against some ideology or something that doesn’t want you to be together. What I’m confused about is what exactly this statement is since her and Patrick are heterosexual??? Maybe they were Mormon or something and they decided to leave? Or its about them having sex before marriage. Chile Idk but according to this annotation on Runner from them on Genius they have had to “Press hard against the boundaries of their religion.”
If I see nothing, then nothing's there
I close my eyes tight, but I can't remember
You could deny me, but I know what I want
I can feel it in my body
Feels like more references to God and not being convinced by religion! Her using “deny” kind of gave it away. Also, her basically saying that she doesn’t believe in God because she can’t see her.
Hand on the wheel
Hand on my thigh
Closing our eyes
This part gives me very much the “Every little beat of sweat / feeling it running down my neck” par from Runner. They’re so in love it hurts me honestly. This song just further proves that they are the masters of a synth. It’s really inspiring for someone (me) who is trying to teach herself how to play the piano. This is Tennis at their very best.
4. One Night at The Valet
This is one of two songs that is allegedly about the night that they met.
And even now, I'm tempted by the face of love
I feel it coming like a flood
More bible imagery! Now that I know that this is probably not the actual story of how they met it makes me feel more likely the all the bible imagery is a clue to some of these stories being fiction. Which I think is an interesting creative pivot because to my knowledge most of their songs from previous albums have been very autobiographical. For example, I’ll the Morning I’ll be Better is about the death of Patrick’s dad.
5. Pollen Song
You point to the trail where the blossoms have fallen
But all I can see is the pollen fucking me up
Me too girl. Allergies are a bitch! I love that Alana cusses on this song! Either way it’s refreshing and it’s part of the reason why it’s one of my top songs on the album. I feel like she’s talking about how she always sees the negative in things. The notion of blossoms falling means that they’re dead. However, some people see it as beautiful but when you think about it, it’s kind of sad. I wonder what exactly she meant here but whatever it is I feel like I get the general idea.
We go cruising over highways
Your hand on my thigh
I got one hand out the window
A direct call back to Let’s Make a Mistake Tonight. This makes me feel like this is just an album explaining only a couple concepts or situations.
6. Hotel Valet
Of course, I can’t find it now, but I feel very certain that I saw something that said this song was supposedly about the night that they met. Please someone comment that they saw this too and that I’m not crazy! However, according to this Slant Magazine article, they actually met as philosophy students. So, in the words of Oprah “what is the truth?”
Another call back to runner.
Been to the fountain
Drink from the fountain
To your frantic Latin
To a stone cold miracle
Baby, I've been stacking cups
Over and under, I raised the stakes
More bible imagery!! I love this song even though it may be all fictional lmfao. I love this idea of unexpectedly lovers. There just seems to be a running theme of them running into some sort of obstacle or objection from someone and that by them being together they are defying the odds. It’s giving me very Sodom and Gomorrah vibes. Maybe its the story of two people who worked in a cafe Sodom and Gomorrah. If it is I love that. If not I need to write the movie lol.
7. Paper
We've been rising from the ground - Jesus rising on the 3rd day
Can't keep my head out of the clouds - God
Another plane to carry the sound like echoes - Another call back to Echos on Swimmer?
I work real hard but I'll never be sure
To provide for my baby in the physical world - Implying there is another world.
But you don't care about material things like paper - Not shocking they look like hippies
We draw circles
Halo in the skyline - I mean….. angels….halo….it’s right there.
All I hope for takes me deeper - “all I hope for” could be the promise of everlasting life.
With never any plan, only echoes - at this point echos has to be a specific choice here right?
(This one was just easier if I called them out line by line.)
8. Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British Coloney. But before it came out and I first read it and hadn’t heard it I thought I was pronounced “Gir-Bilator” like Twerkulator because I’m dyslexic lmfao (never been tested but girl….if you know me you know….shout out to Bella Thorne!) Sounds like a direct reference to one of their infamous sailing trips.
Make our slow ascent
Earthbound constellations
Giving me Star children. Giving me cosmic energy. I feel like they would love Florence from Florence + the Machine. Woah new dream blunt rotation.
9. Never Been Wrong
I’ve never been wrong about anything or anyone.
Same girl! Alana is a Taurus and this kind of just proves it. But as a Leo I also agree! I also have never been wrong about anything!
How can I work with all of this inexactness?
She has a real issue with things not making sense. She’s so real.
Cannot hold the bright gaze of everything
And project a smile like sky split above the rain
The sky splitting part is giving me very Greek god talking to a human energy. Very Zeus talking to Hercules energy.
For a long time
I would obsess
I read the signs
But couldn't get past it
If we are following the biblical through line that is throughout the album, this one seems to be about her not being able to get over the fact that God isn’t real. Or getting over trying to prove that he is or isn’t real. It feels like the questioning how autobiographical the songs are is kind of intentional because we will probably never know how true the Bible is. Much like how we may never know exactly how true these songs are. It seems like an album of like half true or half fables. Maybe a reach but I’ve gotta keep my with thesis statement people!
Lingua dicere potest non quid nescitur
Tu ne quaesieris visum miraculum
Lingua dicere potest non quid nescitur
Apparently, this is latin but when I looked it up only this song came up lmfao. Whatever it is, it sounds very ethereal. It reminds me of the Melanesian choral song performed by the Choir of All Saints that plays in Hold You Now by Vampire Weekend.
10. Pillow for a Cloud
If only I could think and feel along
Over seven paths at once
Sounds like Shes really worried to make mistakes. A lot like being afraid to sin because of fear of going to hell.
Got a pillow for a cloud
wishing she could be an angel
If only you and I began again
Instead of reliving old sins
Boom.
I'd never let you down
Time passing used to thrill me
Now it only terrorizes me
And it's evidence carved into my skin
Seems to me like Shes scared to die because of the possibility of going to hell. With what we know about her having to diverge from her faith to be with Patrick it doesn’t seem like that much of a reach.
Overall, I love this record! Shocker! I am still listening every day to fully understand each nuance in all the songs. There is just so much to process. I think it’s interesting that their last two albums have kind of been associated with one of the four elements. Swimmer was water and this one is Earth. I honestly feel like Yours Conditionally feels like air. I’m not sure if I think Ritual in Repeat is fire but I’m gonna keep listening and get back to you. I’m so excited to have another Tennis album to obsess over and can only hope my other favorite white band HAIM can follow suit and give me some more new music or I am going to be forced to keep streaming something to tell you for the billionth time sorry not sorry!
Pitchfork didn’t really think that they showcased anything different with this album in terms of instrumentals and unfortunately, I have to agree. I think its Tennis doing what they do best, not necessarily doing something new and different very well. That just means that hopefully the next one will be something a little different! For now, I think it’s just a continuation of their love story through the lens of their relationship to their faith. Which I think is really interesting and more Prominet than I’ve noticed on their other albums. The fact that 3 of the songs sound like other songs on their last album can either been seen as a bad thing or a good thing however you look at it. Personally, I don’t fault them for this because the songs they’re referencing are amazing! But, I understand from a critical stand point wanting more from them after 3 years since Swimmer. Personally give it a rating of 7.5/10.
For some more fun: Check out my white excellence playlist on apple music lol. Make sure to listen on shuffle :) 👩🏿⚖️