I feel like I’m in the daydream of a 13 year-old guitarist in 2009. The writing on GULP! is at once opaque and accessible—“I watch my future drying like its paint” is a neat encapsulation of the band’s appeal to a distracted ear. Besides the unfathomable ‘Kool Aid’, Sports Team’s intentions seem agreeable and familiar, but a closer listen immediately unveils the record’s limitations. There are several unobjectionable tracks that would fit in the 2010s indie canon (population 6 billion), and the vocal performance, while safe, does have a heft. By the end, as GULP!’s incongruous ambition creeps in amidst the neutral, flat tones, the band’s awkward dissonance rises.
15/30
A favourite: ‘Light Industry’
‘GULP!’ is out now via Big Desert / Island Records.
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