Sports Team have cemented their name in the British indie rock scene over the last few years as a whirlwind of fun that is most definitely to be reckoned with. Having collected a somewhat cult following as a result of their crazy energy, their second album continues this trend and even strays somewhat to continue their evolution. The band which are made up of all Cambridge graduates did what many bands fail to do, not rush into releasing music. They developed their fan base through performing live and building a name for themselves by being brilliant performers. This time and care to master the art of music really shines through in their second studio album.

The name of the album, ‘Gulp!’ perfectly encapsulates the nervous energy that surrounds moving through life as a young person. To be a young person today is incredibly anxiety inducing but it’s also exciting. The first few songs which were all released as singles, prior to the release of the album exude this overwhelming but realistically inevitable attitude towards the world. The record opens with ‘The Game’, a fast-paced guitar song that’s momentum could run a marathon. The lyrics confront the harsh reality of how monotonous the working world is. Career anxiety looms over young people like a dark cloud but the upbeat chorus and brilliant guitar riffs make the start to the album explosive. Every song just feels happy and despite lyrics exploring how terrifying it is to be a young person at the moment, the sound of this record gives us hope.

Sports Team are just brilliant at making rock music that you can dance however you want to and they shove it in your face, they do say please first though. Some of the best tracks are raging with this ethos. ‘R Entertainment’ and what is arguably the best song on the record, ‘The Drop’ achieves this effortlessly. Rock music at the moment is so desperate to be innovative that bands regularly fall victim to cramming songs, Sports Team find a beautiful balance by allowing the catchy riffs to lead the song yet are not afraid to shine a light on every other instrument they have at their disposable. Every song is able to effectively use each instrument to make such a distinct sound that just screams Sports Team.

The band have managed to adhere to their roots while also straying into unchartered territory. The second half of the album starts to delve into a more melodic and indie sound that you can simply picture being belted in a sweaty dark room on a Friday night. ‘Getting Ready’ utilises Alex Rice’s voice to deliver this exact sound that still has that edge to it that other bands struggle to, but Sports Team just do it effortlessly. With brutally honest lyrics over piano and guitar that you could skip through a field to, this song is an indie classic.

If you know who Alex Rice is then you know he is a character. You can almost hear his quirky dance moves and fantastic carelessness. Every song has honest and wonderful lyrics that he belts with a passion that makes you want to drink Sports Team from a bottle. Songs like ‘Unstuck’ almost use the range and change in pitch as an accompanying rhythm guitar and they are not afraid to use repetition to build and build. Every component of the songs in this album are considerate and just great.

Despite this less fierce journey during the end of the album there is still that absolute grit, often delivered by a beautiful bass line. ‘Fingers(taken off)’ is a fiery smile as the lyricism effortlessly moves along to introduce you to a chaotic yet wonderful chorus.

‘Gulp!’ manages to isolate what makes Sports Team so special. Multiple songs make you want to throw yourself across a room, yet other songs have such a focused beauty while managing to deliver within the same realms of other songs. ‘Light Industry’ closes the album and shows that the band have most definitely implemented the lesson that less is more. With so many musicians, it is very ease to fall victim of crowding songs but there is such a well calculated implementation of bad ass drumbeats, funky bass lines, crazy guitar riffs and beautiful vocals.

Sports Team came out of the gates sprinting, and they have absolutely no desire to slow down, if anything they are only getting faster. A swagger dances alongside each song from start to finish while brilliant song writing looks you in the eye and tells you exactly what you need to hear. This is special.

4.5/5

By Isaac Lewis