Tennis, anyone? On paper, Cape Dory is a sure-fire addition to album collections for fans of Best Coast and Beach House.
Tennis, anyone? On paper, Cape Dory is a sure-fire addition to album collections for fans of Best Coast and Beach House. This summery debut was inspired by the boat travels of husband-and-wife musicians Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley, and it comes on the back of a promising single (Marathon). It’s the makings of a cute, intimate recording and the duo at least get it right on the production front, with a murky mix that makes the songs feel like lost songs beamed out of an old transistor radio.
Overall, however, Cape Dory makes for an insubstantial listen. Their sound leans heavily on classic doo-wop, but then it just continues to lean there without making any inroads. There’s a sweet nostalgia at play but not enough of the band’s individuality is brought up to the surface to balance things out. There’s something jokey (ironic?) about the choice of cover model, though it doesn’t match the straight-laced interpretations of well-trodden territory within.
The songs work better as individual chunks removed from the album format. Long Boat Pass, Seafarer, South Carolina and Marathon would no doubt raise a smile if heard coming from a tinny radio on a sunny afternoon. But even though the tone is featherlight, the resulting album is an oddly weighty thirty minutes. What should feel like a celebratory, romantic journey across the ocean is dumbed down to the equivalent of brushing your toes in the froth of a wave on a desolate beach.
Best track: Marathon
If You Like These, You’ll Like This : Crazy For You BEST COAST, I Will Be DUM DUM GIRLS
In A Word: Waterlogged
Label : Spunk
