Dublin punksters Sprints have released their second EP A Modern Job via Nice Swan Records. The 5 track EP is again produced by Daniel Fox of Gilla Band and follows their 2021 debut EP release Manifesto.
Formed in 2019 Sprints comprise guitarist and vocalist Karla Chubb, guitarist Colm O’Reilly, drummer Jack Callan and bassist Sam McCann. Together they are a formidable whole, producing raucous, spine-tingling and intensely personal songs. As Karla further explains: “Our only ethos in music is to write something that matters and that means something. It’s all about expressing our identities and injecting our personalities into it.”
The EP opens with ‘How Does The Story Go?’. The lyrics include the line: “I’m the only fucker in this place who isn’t doing fine, and I’m not fine.” Singing along to this feels cathartic and liberating. The irony here is the majority are probably thinking and feeling the same, and to sing this en masse releases that negativity.
The track refers to a friend who is moving on: “The cards are stacked, and the house is packed and I wanna go home”.
Next is ‘Modern Job’ which as Karla states: “is just really my entire life’s crisis in one song.”
The pressures of society and the media to achieve the things which they dictate will make us happy can be over-bearing. Sprints write gems of lyrics which are instantly relatable: “I wish I didn’t count the days by the things I didn’t say.”Sprints sing they wish they had it all, but know that self-acceptance is the key to happiness, and if that means not conforming to society’s norms then so be it.
The first unreleased track on this EP is ‘Delia Smith’ and I’m intrigued by the opening line:
“My Mum always liked Delia Smith and I drank drank drank just to deal with my shit.”
Again its raw and that electric guitar mid-track adds a fizzing static. The lyrics are brutally honest sung in the first person. Wrapped in a punk soundscape the delivery is passionate and heartfelt with the vocals building in their intensity: “Who want to be special anyway, Me fucking me and I’m not ashamed”.
‘Little Fix’ is the last single and continues the energy and social commentary of the pressure of fitting into society. The closing track is ‘I’m In A Band’ and it’s a riot. My favourite on the EP it begins with scuzzy guitars which continue throughout the track. Here Karla shares lead vocals with bassist Sam. Karla sings as if bored by the questioning:
“Everybody asks, everybody asks, are you in a band? Yeah I’m in a band Everybody asks, everybody asks, are you any good? Yeah I think we’re good”
When it comes to Sam the lyrics are: “Everybody says, everybody says, are you in a band? Yeah I’m in a band, Everybody says, are you any good? Yeah I think we’re tough”
Just that slight tweak shifts the meaning with humour. The energy does not let up until the final note and by the time you get to the end of this track, trust me, you will start this EP all over again, after all ‘How Does The Story Go?’
Sprints travel to SXSW, have various festival appearances in the summer, and headline their biggest gig to date at The Dome Tuffnell Park in October. Seriously, listen to this EP and see this band live…
