Atmosphere stolen from the exit portal into a new universe, you feel the tone of Sprints’ Literary Mind upfront. A rebuilt, retro fuzz box sets the course for your drive over to the celebration. A soundtrack expands as you enter the full house, scene set with party extras in thrall. Being slightly buzzed on cheap beer, eyes scan for familiar faces, and then, you see them from across the room.
A blur of guitars set on stun, a thrum of bass and drums explodes across the mix as it all comes into focus. Karla Chubb’s vocal, dynamically explains from gentle missive to an insistent scream, caged in passion clawing through the bars, harmonizes with bassist Sam McCann’s voice, a confident, steady foundation only found in accepting one’s destiny. A punk duet for both hemispheres of your brain on queer Love. Guitarist Colm O’Reilly and drummer Jack Callan hold up the energy high to wondrous effect. Captain Sensible would be proud of you all.
Back at the party, there is no denying it as they look back at you. This is fate. Retro grit beneath your chipped black polished nails after spending the night with Concrete Blonde on a star ship on autopilot.
I found myself enjoying every second of this punk missive about queer Love and desire. Keep the long edit on repeat. Such a wonderful moment deserves more than just one listen.
Live version has the same feeling just more raw and in the moment, like when you finally cross the room after your last sip of warm courage from that bottle you throw into a corner with a clatter. These garage punks know how to have fun and fall deliriously into your arms.
I also Love W.H. Lung and Tom Sharkett’s remix. When punks discover a drum machine and sequencers, industrial pop magick is always the result. Guitars drop, bass rises along with robots set on destroy and a throb of rhythm forces you onto the dance floor. You can still slam and pogo but, do not be surprised when a wispy fae slinks past you with stars in their eyes.
This was my first exposure to Sprints and cannot wait to dive into their catalogue for more buzzy brilliant stories. Literary Mind is streaming now on Spotify and other major streaming platforms. Download available on Bandcamp. The 7″ vinyl is available for pre-order here with other releases available as well. Live video is on Sprints’ YouTube channel.