The first time I came across Tennyson was, in fact, with my eyes, then my ears.
The reason I say this is because I was scanning through the latest stream on Soundcloud, and their artwork (for a remix of Daughter’s heartfelt 'Smother') popped up – a palette of bold, primary colours with a crisp image of traditional kid's toys; marbles, juggling clubs, wooden building blocks and so on. I could sense, even before I pressed play, that the production, too, would reflect this feeling of purity, fun and freshness. Naivety? Possibly not.
Above: Artwork for the Smother/For You Remixes
I had a few ambivalent listens. I even asked my friend's opinion on it, as though I was ashamed of listening to something so perfect and clean, sonically speaking. Overthinking as usual, "what is this?"...some sort of chilled out Rnb...electronica for the after hours...laid back hip hop? What the f*** is 'chillwave' anyway? Etc. Next day, I woke up, put it on - I was hooked. Repeat after repeat after repeat. Sold! I honestly no longer cared about categorising it. In fact, I was so content absorbing myself in those heart-wrenching harmonies, and the addictive pulse, I didn't even consider exploring his other tunes ("Amateur!", I hear you cry).
Unless you already know the original song by Daughter, you'll be shocked at how slow it is in comparison:
Tennyson have transformed something vocally dark and brooding (and clearly of a totally different end of the spectrum) into an upbeat, jazzy, beat-orientated electronic ode to the indie-folk band (or whatever genre they're meant to be). Granted, the lyrics remain emotive and sad, but somehow, the combination works. Like hot apple pie and ice cream :)
And of course, they've added their signature cat purr.
It wasn't until I ventured further into their portfolio that I realised how good Luke Pretty is on the keys - some of the jazz licks are heavenly. I wouldn't dare make a statement comparing him to any jazz greats, but if you're into that kind of thing, you might well appreciate his technical ability. They do have a live video for FactTV, but some aren't sure if it was just miming, which has sparked debate.
Regardless, the drumming by his sister Tess (yep, they are siblings and still in their teens) on the tunes they have put out, is superb - relentless syncopations, bold snare rolls and well-placed time signature variations. It isn't in the background, nor in your face - it's perfectly aligned with the melody.
Example, check the drumming in 'Blamer':
I won't go into the intricacies of their sound and bore you - I think the best way to understand is by listening. But I will say this; Tennyson are more than just 'tasteful', 'pleasant' or 'nice'. It goes beyond the likes of Ta-ku and Kaytranda. For me, this was made very clear when, 10 months ago, they kindly shared 'No Answer'. It's moving stuff - almost hypnotic, soothing; the kind of music you put on late at night that gets you thinking about where you're at, how you're feeling, your achievements (or lack thereof). Or maybe you just smoke weed to it/make love...each to their own!
The pad harmonies hit the spot; as critic Paul Lester of the Guardian newspaper fittingly put it, they are "positively synaesthetic". I'm still not sure about that jokey telephone dial tone in the breaks, but that's just me.
If you want to go even deeper and let your mind wander, then check out 'Lay By':
Some might find the synth sounds Luke uses, such as in this bridge of this track, a little 'cheesy', 'muzak-like', possibly labelling it as 'elevator music' or affiliating it with the background sounds of Napoleon Dynamite (which was cool in its own right), but you can't deny the rousing, climactic elements, accompanied by an ever so smooth n fluffy sub bass. There are always those clever moments where, for a quick second, the duo bring you back to earth with chopped-up, glitchy sounds sourced from elsewhere (so-called 'sampladelia'), jointly reminding you there is that alluring element of fun in their oeuvre (I've already said the word 'sound' 4 times).
This is the B-side to Tennyson's first vinyl and is also available on digital. It is self-released, but there are rumours of them joining a label called 'Secret Songs'.
Above: Artwork for the single With You/Lay By
Conclusion: let's hope they do get signed soon, people get over their age and let their sound expand. Naturally, of course.
As a final note, Luke's dream of stardom may well come true..
"To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield"
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