Boys These Days: A Seriously Unserious Album from Sports Team

Crafted exactly for lazily lounging around in parks in the upcoming warmer months. Boys These Days is an album that is seriously brilliant, in the most unserious way.

If you’re worried that we haven’t found the song of the summer yet, you can stop your endless panic and searching now because I have found your answer. Well, multiple answers in fact. Boys These Days, the third studio album from six-piece alt rock ensemble Sports Team, simply radiates “album of the summer” energy. Packed with intense highs, hardly any lows and the occasional lyric that brings out a giggle, the album is like if The Smiths and The 1975 had a baby that lived an actually happy life.

“I’m in Love (Subaru)” immediately kicks off the intense summer vibes with a gorgeous saxophone and hypnotic singing of the word ‘Subaru’. As a non-car person, the term ‘Subaru’ quite frankly means nothing to me, but that didn’t matter too much as the song was able to perfectly conjure up the image of late-night drives, blasting the radio with no cares whatsoever. The group seem to have convinced me that if I ever do decide to become a car person, maybe I should opt for a cherry red Subaru.

Following up a strong opener is the titular track “These Days”, a song which vibrates so much energy and life. A satirical song that is part social commentary on generational divides and part laughing at the mess Gen Z has become, it’s filled with lyrics that never fail to pull a laugh out of you. ‘Maybe what we need is a war’ stands out in particular, along with ‘Boys these days/look like girls’. Every young person has heard at least one of the remarks made in this song from an elderly relative, making it a relatable, hysterical but still sonically strong track.

“Moving Together” was the point in the album where I had the exact thought: this is the album of the summer. With an addictive hook and bouncy rhythm, the lyrics beg you to ‘Come on and just waste my time’ in a way which is reminiscent of a bored adolescent in the middle of July. “Condensation” starts off with a beat that reminds of disco, and as a track is an amalgamation of ‘70’s rock, funk, disco and modern indie pop that brings out the urge in even the most stoic to bop their head. “Sensible” gives off the energy of liberation and freedom and did sound like a Morrissey track that had been made in a parallel universe (that universe being one in which he was normal and actually enjoyed his life).

Throughout the whole album, there seems to be an unspoken rule that this is meant to be a fun album. That may feel like a strange sentiment to have to clarify, but in an industry where people are fighting to share their deepest, darkest thoughts in a sombre track, Boys These Days is a refreshing reminder that music is meant to be fun. “Planned Obsolescence” is another track that brings this to light, using quite a depressing term from the capitalist world and pairing it with joyful whistling. The somewhat moody vocals contrast brilliantly with the upbeat sound, creating a song that I can only imagine animates itself further when performed live. “Bang Bang Bang” is another pure joy track that shows off the group’s extensive range in a tonal shift through an almost Old Western sound.

My personal favourite comes up in the homestretch of the album, “Head to Space”. The dictionary definition of ‘vibey’, it’s a song all about abandoning your problems by running away to somewhere fresh and exciting. This song comes fresh off the heels of the infamous Katy Perry space mission; whether this is an intentional joke or not doesn’t matter much, it made me laugh all the same. The mid-song tempo switch up at the bridge brings so much fullness to the song and this is another track I believe will be electric to see the group perform on their upcoming tour. “Bonnie” brings another tone change and is sonically so well- rounded that listening to it feels rich. Perhaps the broodiest of the album, the use of the title “Bonnie” in a song about arresting lovers is on-the-nose that isn’t pretentious but instead in a way that builds such an atmosphere around the track.

Then we get to the closer, “Maybe When We’re Thirty”. At first, you can’t believe the album is almost over and it has ran away from you. You hear the opening few seconds and already know it’s going to be a banger. If “These Days” mimics the older generations, this track almost idolises them and the simplicity of their lives. The lyrics yet again never fail to get a rogue laugh out of me, with the Beckham family catching strays and the group sharing very real realisations about hating their neighbours. It is an ode to (maybe) growing up and is very wholesome. A very fitting end to an album celebrating the spontaneity and joy of being young.

A seriously unserious album, Sports Team’s love, passion and dedication is blatantly obvious on Boys These Days. If you need a soundtrack to your messy, chaotic summer, it is here waiting for you.

Words by Jess Cooper