Ryan Tennis - Hey, Rollercoaster
After all, it's everywhere. In your pants pockets, jacket pockets, shoes, between your toes, in your hair and in your ears. Sand. Once you've come into contact with it, the little grains stick to you for what feels like forever. Some like the feeling, others....not. But no fretting, if you want to enjoy the beach feeling without enjoying the beach, help is here! In the form of sound pearls, of course. Ryan Tennis is the name of our singer songwriter from Philadelphia today, and he brings with him a beach chair full of songs that will put you in the summer mood....
The album 'Hey, Rollercoaster' was released last week (via CD Baby) and features 9 sonic gems that bring not only the guitar acoustics of a campfire, but also soul and salsa guitar sounds as well as mellow pop gems. A motley mix of folk, rock and soul, accompanied by a raw but gentle voice.
“I get my lyrics from the shit I see around”….RT photocredits: Will Drinker
Beach to Go, please
Ryan Tennis has a sense of humor. With a twinkle in his eye and a bit of mischief on his neck, he takes us on a biographical journey into his innermost self. He starts his journey with the single Alligator. I find the video for it particularly delightful. Finally someone who doesn't take himself too seriously. He himself says about it: “It’s the silliest video I’ve ever done- Will Drinker [the videographer] is also a ventriloquist and puppeteer, and that enthusiasm and confidence rubbed off on me. We were just committed to having fun no matter what during the shoot.” And yes, you can tell and it's infectious.
Oh, Alexandra follows the debut single and tells of butterfly tattoos and eternal pining for unrequited love. Setting the tone again is that unforced beat that Ryan Tennis calls in with his guitar. Despite the melancholy, there is celebration. Life is still beautiful and ready for hip swing.
Speaking of hip swing, right up front for beach dancing is the sound pearl Morena. The song with its Cuban Hawaiian sounds invites you to salsa dance. With all the passion, the language is also changed sometimes. Likewise, the namesake Hey, Rollercoaster is a very typical sound pearl à la Ryan Tennis. Unfettered vocals, a melody that gets into your ears and hips and good vibrations that are in no way inferior to the Beach Boys. My personal favorite pearl Nobody's Business But My Own dives into the blues sea and creates a soulful bad boy effect. Figures I'd like this one....
But Ryan Tennis can also be more serious, e.g. with the love tearjerker I Feel It. Nice, the playing of the guitar, like an echo the music is thrown back and forth. No Umbrella is of the same kind. Multichoral echo in a dense sea of sound. It rather creates the feeling of a longer outro instead of a single standing song.
His strength, however, are the plucked guitar strings, suitable for singing and swinging along. So if you're looking for a beach feel at home, Ryan Tennis is right up your alley. I can feel the sand between my toes. In the distance the sea is roaring and the seagulls are screaming. Now the summer can come.
Listen and chill
PS: By the way, Ryan Tennis is going on tour (Europe/Germany) these days. With members of the Latin Grammy Award nominated band El Caribefunk. All proceeds will be donated to help the refugee crisis in Europe. Love it.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
