Henrytennis
Eight Rare Cases



Website: Henrytennis
Music: Myspace
Label: Cinra Records
Buy Link: Cinra Records


The first time I heard the name Henry Tennis I thought to myself, “What kind of a last name is Tennis?” Then I found out that Henrytennis is the name of a progressive rock band from Japan and it all made sense. Their album, Eight Rare Cases, which curiously enough has nine tracks, delves into a vast range of moods and sounds. An initial reaction to their music is that they are a Japanese version of Tortoise or at least highly influenced by the North American group. The most obvious reason for this comparison is that the first track on Eight Rare Cases, “The Electronic Flute,” to me at least, initially recalls “Ten-Day Interval” off TNT. But after a more in-depth study of Henrytennis’s music it is easy to realize that they are so much more than simply a Tortoise rip off. Their music has a clear sense of structure and is texturally lush. There is never a dull moment on Eight Rare Cases, unlike some Tortoise albums.

The members of Henrytennis obviously know their stuff when it comes to the fundamentals of music. Their use of altered and mixed meters, for instance, is quite genius. There are times on the album, like this brilliant moment near the end of “Natural Law,” where several of the band members are playing in different time signatures from one another, yet somehow the parts have the illusion of synchronization. At other points on the album, Henrytennis manages to make what I could only describe as elevator music that sounds nothing like annoying background noise. If anything, working in a building that had Henrytennis’s version of elevator music on might cause one to skip out on work and simply ride the elevators all day. Also, Eight Rare Cases has a considerable range of dynamic contrast, from the sheer intensity of pieces like “The Electronic Flute” and “Hydration” to the airy gurgle of “Neon Lights” and “Aftermath.”

Henrytennis achieves their thick attention-grabbing texture by using a variety of instruments. Among them are guitars, keyboards, organ, synthesizer, glockenspiel, saxophone, voice, and, of course, drums. Their vocals come in at sporadic and strategic moments. And don’t try to understand what they’re saying. A good guess is that they could be singing English, but that’s up for debate. Japanese? German?!?

If there is one moment on Eight Rare Cases that stands out above the rest, it is the track “Bakuretsu Ginga.” In particular, towards the end of the piece, when the music dies down to one lonely guitar playing staccato chords, the mood becomes eerily anguished. Eventually, the piano and drums return to the piece, reemphasizing the downbeat and adding a hopeless longing quality to the piece. If there were a time on the album that had the potential of bringing tears, this is it. The music here is absolutely beautiful.

Yes, they do make music in Japan and Henrytennis is an excellent example of it.

-David

Score: 8.5/10