SPRINTS
'Letter To Self'
(City Slang)
The clue is in the title.
‘Write a letter to yourself’ - the sort of task that a therapist may set you: a letter to your future self, a letter to your inner critic, a letter to your younger self… a letter to make you find some empowerment, some self-worth. ‘Letter to Self’ is Dublin-based Sprints’ debut album and its collection of songs (mostly) of rage and catharsis. The band’s garage punk noise provides a visceral soundtrack to a record about looking inward and exorcising demons. It is also about delivering some well-deserved kicks against some rather odious pricks. Some of those letters may be written in red or green felt tip pen, they may be angry, but they really, really need to be.
At the heart of this quartet is singer, guitarist and lead-songwriter Karla Chubb and you feel that every line she sings is drawn from some personal experience. 'They never called me b-b-beautiful, they only called me insane', (‘Adore, Adore, Adore’), she screams in the face of critics. 'Cathedral' takes the self-loathing of growing up queer in a Catholic community and fights to be heard ('He's singing from the hymn sheet/I'm singing for the others'). ‘Can’t Get Enough of It’ is filled with personal terror and ‘Up and Comer’ takes on the self-loathing and imposter syndrome that can be the result of so much of the doubts and negativity of others . 'Literary Mind' meanwhile (together with its splendid video) proves, yet again, that there are fewer places more sexy than a truly great bookshop, it's a powerful ode to falling in love and, in particular, queer love in a world that still (yes, still), tries to oppress that.
You can play the old game of what punk and post-punk idols (and, heaven help us, don’t suggest IDLES), Sprints appear to be influenced by, but that misses the point somewhat. This band has so much to say to a stale society where complacency and conformity are reigning again. A band that screams for your attention and, once it has it, will not let you go. Essential.
Essentials
Photograph of Sprints: JP Dougherty
