Rating: NNNN
Tender Forever is Melanie Valera, who moved from France to Portland, Oregon, and makes charmingly intimate lo-fi laptop pop. The laptop pop thing might be a bit misleading, since there are plenty of “real” instruments here, too, if that distinction still means anything to anyone. However, the album’s overall texture is still rooted in crunchy drum machines and cheap keyboards. If you like the Blow, you may find some common ground here. There’s a bit of the Postal Service, too, but the rhythms are more laid-back and the textures richer and warmer. “Organic” is overused, but in this context it seems appropriate. A good romantic album to nurture a winter crush with.
