The new year often takes a while to really get going. At work, many companies still have company holidays and the remaining employees often find themselves bored as the emergency staff. Musically speaking, 2024 is hitting the ground running right from the start. On the very first release friday, the debut album from Sprints is ready to make a big impact this year.
Dublin – The Music Capital
There must be a nest of talented musicians somewhere in the Irish capital. With Fontaines D.C., The Murder Capital and Lankum, three bands immediately come to mind that have recently appeared in my year-end lists and greatly enriched my musical life. Daily life in Dublin seems to be rather rough though, as none of the albums from these bands can be described as uplifting feel-good music. “This is a living nightmare and I can’t sleep and I can’t leave” is one of the lines on “Letter To Self” and it’s not without reason that Sprints themselves describe their music in the accompanying liner notes of their debut album as “an exploration of pain, passion, and perseverance.“
Savages are considered self-proclaimed role models for the band and you can hear that in many places. When the band’s anger-driven post-punk drifts into grunge, I inevitably think of Courtney Love due to Karla Chubb’s scratchy voice. A good dose of noise is essential to the band’s sound, “Make noise and look after each other” being the motto. The band members are citing influences such as early Pixies, Bauhaus, Siouxsie Sioux or – to bring things into the present – Idles.
The band’s sound is accompanied by lyrics that are not necessarily typical for straightforward rock’n’roll songs. In ‘Cathedral’ Carla sings about the existence as a queer person in a Catholic-dominated environment. Other songs deal with themes such as homophobia, sexism in the music industry or fear and trauma. Perhaps it’s presumptuous to speak of a contender for the album of the year in the first week of 2024 (who knows what else is to come), but we will definitely hear a lot from this band in the upcoming year.
Vinyl of the Week available in different colors
In UK record stores the band’s debut album is available on either black or limited red vinyl (optionally as a signed edition). There is an Ireland only exclusive vinyl edition on yellow vinyl, which is probably sold out in most stores. Rough Trade offers an exclusive variant on Marbled Sun Yellow and Red Vinyl plus a bonus 7″ and CD. The Seven Inch includes two extra studio tracks. In the band store you are able to purchase the album on orange or black vinyl including a signed print.
Vinyl of the week
