Perhaps the only challenge in the musical world more daunting than beginning a project is ending it: we’ve seen far too many bands churn out mediocre releases far past their prime, with the vast majority of groups struggling to find the right time to call it quits. Such is not the case for Colorado husband-and-wife duo Tennis though, as the pair have decided to name new record ‘Face Down In The Garden’ as their last. It’s a bittersweet ending, plagued by many of the same issues as the duo’s previous work, but also a cathartic one, delivering some of the most agreeable material in the Tennis catalogue.

Moore and Riley have always been at their best when indulging in the classic baroque pop sounds that inspire them— in that lane, ’Face Down In The Garden’ may be their most lush and inviting record. Opener ‘At The Apartment’ puts the duo’s warm soundscapes on full display, pairing open piano chords against Alaina Moore’s soothing vocals in a confident, self-assured manner: the following drum groove is the real treat though, standing as one of the most satisfying moments we can recall from the entire Tennis discography. The entire record soaks itself in recognisably retro textures, giving each track a uniquely nostalgic feeling. Cuts like ‘Always The Same’ or ‘Weight Of Desire’ embody the sound of a bygone era, allowing their withdrawn bass lines and bright synth tones to carry them through.

Those lovely tones can only take you so far though, and Tennis’ new album suffers from the same central issue as previous records: too many of these tracks feel overly plain and unmemorable. ‘Always The Same’ slinks through it’s three-minute runtime on autopilot, seemingly prioritising its watery sound design over all too many distinct or striking melodies— similar criticisms could be levied at the likes of ‘Sister’ or ’12 Blown Tires,’ which ultimately fail to stick with the listener. We’d also be remiss not to mention the monotonous vocal delivery on ‘I Can Only Describe You’ and the drab closer ‘In Love (Release The Doves):’ in all honesty, we’d be hard pressed to recount many standout moments of cuts like these. If ‘Face Down In The Garden’ really is the final project from Tennis, it’s a shame to see the duo failing to rid themselves of the mundanity that’s stained much of their back catalogue.

It’s in its strongest passages that the new record feels like a celebration of Tennis as a project. ‘At The Apartment’ is an excellent mood-setter, using its sweet lyrical themes to mark the record as an appropriate swansong.

“At the apartment, we lay on the floor

Dissecting every sound on some old '45

At the apartment, we lay on the floor

But darling, do not linger

'Cause the wedding's in an hour”

The following ‘Weight Of Desire’ is equally strong, capturing the hesitance and conflict of its lyrical themes via a shifting palate of hollow synths and a strong vocal performance from Moore. The cut is about as strong as any Tennis single before it, reaching a muted yet satisfying crescendo by the end. The bulk of our praise should really be reserved for ‘Through The Mirror’ though, which stands as one of the most interesting and definitive cuts the duo have ever released— between its luscious guitar chords and floating melodic lines, the song sounds like nothing the band have ever penned before, and yet feels like the perfect culmination of their career. It’s a beautiful song, and a well-suited capstone on Tennis’ discography.

Lyrically, ‘Face Down In The Garden’ feels like another culmination of the themes Moore and Riley have been exploring all along. Love is, of course, a central theme of the album, presenting itself via the recurring image of a wedding: in many instances, the duo cast themselves back, looking at both their relationship and their career through younger eyes.

“I want to take you down the only road I know

Hide you from the world and keep you for my own

Let me build an altar for you, stoke the flame

I know how to take my pleasure with my pain”

Moore’s delivery throughout the album paints these songs in a somewhat mournful light: there’s an overbearing sense of nostalgia and finality to many of these lines, showing the lengths Tennis have gone to to pay tribute to their own career. The album’s final line, delivered on ’12 Blown Tires,’ closes the book on a seven album journey: “I see our fates go on colliding.”

This final Tennis record is only 29 minutes in length, and it can feel like it’s struggling to fill even that meagre runtime: Riley and Moore don’t really shake their familiar shortcomings on this one, delivering a project that’s more pleasant than it is gripping or overly interesting. There’s something quite special in the finality of ‘Face Down In The Garden’ though, as the record’s thoughtful atmosphere lends it a special place within the Tennis discography. The duo haven’t really crafted a dream pop masterclass for the ages with this one, and it may be one forgotten to time: in this moment, though, this final project is something rather sweet.