Letter To Self. SPRINTS

2024 is five days old and has the best album already been released? With 361 days to go, that is extremely hard to predict. Fact is, Letter To Self is a keg of gunpowder, better, until a millisecond ago it was a keg. The energy released in the explosion is there to enjoy for all in the world. SPRINTS starts running the marathon as if it's the 100 meters sprint and keeps that up for the full 42 and a little kilometres.

SPRINTS from Dublin in Ireland releases its debut album, after having been present on this blog with the all consuming single 'Literary Mind'. This single was so extremely promising that the album simply could not go wrong; and it hasn't. The capitalised band name should have been traded in for LETTER TO SELF. That would have done more justice to the title and the songs it stands for.

In the singles reviews you will have noticed that I've made a comparison to U.K. band Porridge Radio. The use of dynamics and the repetition of one lyric line over and over, will sound familiar to Porridge Radio fans. In religious terms the latter band is John the Baptist, SPRINTS Jezus. The latter is so much more charged, there's so much more energy in abundance, so much more life, all underscored by the line "I am alive" in the final song 'Letter To Self'.

Singer Karla Chubb is screaming her heart out but in her own words to move towards a better place. What, to my ears, is missing in SPRINTS' music is utter despair, the other major difference with Porridge Radio. Where as a parent I'm sincerely worried about that band's singer, I'm not here. This is turning negativity into positive energy and sharing it with the world to see and mostly hear.

Musically, the band can be placed in the alternative rock section with some post punk influences to go. When the band goes all out, there's no denying there. Extra points are scored for the strong melodies the band presents. Even when the noise is the loudest, singing along is always an option competing strongly with the option to pogo. In 'Cathedral' the band obliges with an instrumental noise explosion or two to make it easier for the listener to choose in a live situation. Speaking of, the band is touring extensively this winter, so I hope to be present at one of the shows.

SPRINTS is around for four years this year and has released a string of singles and EPs that passed me by. it wasn't until the singles of Letter To Self were released that I caught on. It's never too late to do so and with this album out, the time is right. folks. It's not everyday that such an energetic and good debut album is released.

Wout de Natris

You can listen to and order Letter To Self here:

https://sprintsmusic.bandcamp.com/album/letter-to-self