The Sports boys make some great emo punk music splattered with emotion and procrastination and sick riffs. I’ve been spinning their album pretty frequently (between bouts of Spotify’s “Discover” section).
At less than 20 minutes long, their EP We’ll Get to It Eventually is a small but powerful set.
And In This Corner…
Guitarist Kris Ward has some creative riffs that incorporate lots of quick little rolls/sort-of-sweeps, like the zippy solo in “On Grass, On Grass.” These accents dot their music and bring a lot of character to the sound. They’re like the M&Ms in your trail mix. However, a lot of the guitar soundscapes in between these riffs get lost behind the power of the rhythm section unless you’re listening through headphones or just cranking the volume (which, by the way, is highly recommended).
The Play-By-Play
Sports’ best attribute lies in the simplicity and directness of their lyrics. They are relatable and poignant, to me at least, as a stressed out 20-something. Even the album title, We’ll Get to It Eventually, feels like a catchphrase for my lazy, procrastinating life. “Classic 2s” is practically an anthem for the post-college blues of missing friends, making changes and fearing the future. “Dogs” follows a similar lyrical vibe and makes the perfect lead-in to “Classic 2s.”
Then we come to the album’s closer: “Mo Vaughn (He Was A Baseball-Man)” which sounds like a desperate plea to a lost friend. With lyrics like “I just wish you could have known we would have helped,” it’s the most intensely emotional and personal song on the album. It fades out with another one of those beautiful Kris Ward solos.
Overtime
“D” Stands For Demo includes the opening duo of “They Don’t Make Them” and “Like They Did in the 60s,” though they should probably be considered one song with an extended intro (unfortunately, the transition gets a bit jumbled through bandcamp’s loading time). The intro stands out from the rest of their repertoire as the only instrumental and synthy song. It feels very different but displays some early semblance of their style that can be seen on their EP.
They also released a two-song Christmas EP including an original acoustic holiday song and a rocking cover of “The Christmas Song” (the “chestnuts roasting on an open fire” song). Oh and should I mention “AFV”? Well, that last sentence contained more words than the (clearly just a joke) song does, so I guess that’s plenty. It’s still worth a laugh.