SPRINTS - Letter to Self
Words: Eerie Rose
Released on the 5th of January via City Slang, Letter to Self kicks off SPRINTS’ new year with a serious statement: this is a band ready to be heard and ready to put themselves out there in a way that feels vulnerable and authentic. Part of a significant scene of indie/noise rock and post punk bands coming out of Dublin, Ireland (such as Fontaines D.C, Gilla Band and Pillow Queens) the four-piece have put out some of their most heartfelt work yet with this record. In a genre that tends to be known best for socio-political commentary, Letter to Self asserts itself as a different kind of rebellion, a total acceptance of human experience and existence, and an internal revolution against a prescribed life handed down to us. The defiance on the album feels deeply personal, backed up with heavy and unrelenting guitar that really solidifies this body of work as one to be remembered for a while. Exhibiting all of the best traits built up over their three years as a band, SPRINTS have created a record that perfectly captures their journey so far and lets us peek into the possibilities of what’s to come, and based on the reception so far, it would be fair to expect that the sky really is the limit for what they can achieve.
The album release was celebrated with the band’s first in-store at Rough Trade East, which really demonstrated SPRINTS live reputation: this is not a band figuring things out technically, but rather an incredibly well-oiled machine that collectively creates a live sound much bigger than should be possible for a quartet. Swept up in their encapsulating, noisy yet impeccably clean performance, it was easy to forget this is a debut, however vocalist Karla Chubb consistently grounded the show with modest, genuine remarks in between songs. From flipping off the review that claimed they sounded too close to Sonic Youth and going against the plan to only play songs on the album, to tearing up whilst explaining the importance of this record to the band’s journey, Karla’s confidence in the band’s work and readiness to lay bare her innermost emotions is evident, as well as an indifference to judgment that only comes from really, genuinely being your most vulnerable. Letter to Self is a defiant, heartfelt triumph that embodies everything SPRINTS has done so far, tying it up in a beautifully loud package that evokes a feeling of new year regeneration. Opening up all of their old wounds, examining every detail of the path that led them here, SPRINTS have recorded an album of straight-up catharsis, that clearly states that no matter their experiences, or what has come before, they are ready to own it, accept it, release it, and move on…and it is without a doubt only the beginning.
Stay up to date with SPRINTS via Instagram and Twitter, and stream / purchase the record from Bandcamp, Spotify or Rough Trade.