GutterPutter

SPRINTS is an Irish punk band from Dublin whose rough-edged music and certain dynamism have earned them a reputation as a post-punk band in the same lane as Fortaines D.C. Having been founded in 2019 just before the Covid pandemic, they have released two EPs that garnered some local attention from the media with a bit of hype surrounding their energy. With a feature from the Guardian’s Phil Mongredien, he hypes the band’s live performances as being among the best out of the upcomers with his conclusion being that they are a name worth looking out for in a festival.

Through this fact, Letter to Self does have some hype going for it if it’s mostly down to how charismatic lead vocalist Karla Chubb’s singing can be. As far as punk rock goes, the band has it in spades with ferocious guitar strums, tight drumming, and knotty screams. ‘A Wreck (A Mess)’ has an infectious simple bassline that’s accompanied by the loud-quiet structure that gives you room to take in the bridge. ‘Adore Adore Adore’ is catchy with some crunchy riffs and a tinge of power pop vibrancy. ‘Shadow of a Doubt’ features a good example of building up tension as the chorus evaporates into a cacophonic roar even if the anaphoras feel more annoying than tempersome. Lastly, ‘Cathedral’ has some hard-hitting lyrics that look into domestic abuse and toxic relationships which makes for a compelling commentary on the lack of care taken to deal with codependency and parasitic reliance.

With this compliment in mind, I do have some issues regarding the performance in the album. It’s punk for sure, but the general execution of the sound feels lacking in its attempt to sell the band as being well worth their hype. ‘Heavy’ tries to pull off a lead guitar solo that doesn’t soar so much as it does yelp in its drowned-out noise. ‘Shaking Their Hands’ is reminiscent of the Cranberries’ alternative contemplations as a d-side rough draft; the repetitive chorus does not feel as impactful as it could have been. When you throw in the dull excitement that ‘Literary Mind’ tries so hard to convey with only the nursery rhyme-like chant of a bridge to back its bombastment. When you have much of the bassline be bass-ic (pun intended) to a fault and a stringent drumming pattern, the record doesn’t really do much to show off what makes the band a worthwhile listen.

Moreover, the problems regarding Letter to Self revolve around its production which, given the praise surrounding the band, has done little to highlight the live fervour. Much of the mixing feels off with some parts feeling a bit too clean compared to the uncommercial, hoarse charm of pub-based punk while other parts weren’t given the attention it could. In ‘Can’t Get Enough of It’, the vocals feel too clear for a song about insomnia while the rhythm guitar sounds like an eccentric broken washing machine. ‘Ticking’ and ‘Up and Comer’ both feel a bit off with how the guitars, bass, and drum have failed to stick out as much as they should have, making the whole instrumentation feel like a bit of a wash. The title track, to close off the cons surrounding the album, tries to pull off a bit of sprechgesang that comes off as obnoxious that does not help at all with the way the drum does not feel as thunderous as it could have.

I would say conclusively that I can see the reason why SPRINTS gets some anticipation; much of the songs here give off a clear sense of energy that you don’t feel in many punk bands now. The singing is largely great in its rough-edged way that helps to compliment the band in forming their distinct identity. Yet, the music feels derivative in a way that feels more problematic in making SPRINTS feel covered up should a more ambitious contemporary decide to release their record with unconventional twists. The production has not only failed to highlight the supposed aura that was shown in the live performances, but they do not give enough weight on the individual instruments to show the band members’ technical prowess. I could even say that the production has undermined what makes people fall in love with the band; it’s so lacklustre that it takes away the colours that made them interesting to an ordinary listener. I could only hope that in their next effort that they will polish up their studio recordings to give you the impression that you are in the same room or venue as them riffing their music to the sky. It can be a big bummer how important a good or attractive sound quality can make or break your LP or even your band as a whole.

2/5