REVIEW: Sports Team - Boys These Days

Suburbs rejoice, Sports Team are back! The irreverent indie rockers have been thinking characteristically outside of the box in the promotion of their latest album Boys These Days, giving fans the opportunity to shoot them with paintballs virtually in exchange for CD purchases, engaging in surprisingly competitive hot dog eating contests, and offering cash rewards at gigs to the closest lookalike of lead singer Alex Rice. The question, as ever, is can the music match the wildness of the antics? After the lukewarm reception to their sophomore record Gulp!, the six-piece have returned with a refreshed instrumental palate. The wry critiques of Middle England remain, but the blaring guitars which were previously central to their sound take a backseat. Instead, glitzy saxophones and keys are deployed, evoking memories of 80s new wave which, despite a couple of eyebrow raising moments, provide the group’s music with a much-needed new depth.

Immediately, on the opening songs 'I’m In Love (Subaru)', Sports Team put their fans on notice that things are changing around these parts. The first sound on Boys These Days is a luscious sax solo, accompanied by choral vocals angelically praising the track’s titular automobile. Although a far cry from their previous work musically, Rob Knaggs’ lyrics reassure listeners that the joyous absurdity that got them this far is still present in abundance. The song is a love letter to a rally car, for pity’s sake! What could be more Sports Team - except perhaps a sequel dedicated to the road it’s driving along?

The record’s title track continues the “new sounds, old themes” trend, as caustic parodies of the older generation’s critiques towards the youth of today are underscored by honky-tonk piano, violins, and even an errant harmonica. If The Style Council had written Sports Team’s breakout hit 'Here’s The Thing', it would doubtlessly have sounded something like this.

'Moving Together' follows, an oddly jaunty track that exposes a weakness in their greater diversity of sound. The mix is very cluttered, seemingly the product of too many ideas being thrown at it and none sticking. Consequently, this track lacks the catchy quality that so much of the South Londoners’ music can claim.

The same is not true of 'Condensation', the strongest of the album’s singles, and a brilliant blend of old and new Sports Team. The album’s glossy production is deployed fantastically here, taking what is ostensibly a straightforward song and adding bells and whistles that make it a particularly dynamic listen. 'Sensible' is similarly a highlight, successfully conveying both the banality of the average young professional’s lives and the fear of becoming one with its muted acoustic guitar and hastily delivered vocals.

'Planned Obsolescence' marks Knaggs’ only appearance as vocalist on Boys These Days, as he modernises The Divine Comedy’s 'Gin Soaked Boy' with a nihilistic twist. Though he is not a note-perfect singer, the messiness of his vocals, as well as the whistling throughout, hammer home the pointlessness of life Knaggs describes in its lyrics.

At this point, Boys These Days takes a brief break from satirising the world around them to focus on the state of play across the Atlantic. 'Bang Bang Bang' is a commentary on gun violence in the United States, set to a guitar riff ripped straight from a spaghetti western. Sports Team have long been aware that humour is the easiest way to get a point across, and the contrast between the soundscape and messaging in this tune is by far its best deployment on this record. 'Head To Space' has a similar oxymoron at its core, longing for the escapist life of an astronaut whilst being acutely aware of space tourism’s wastefulness. This internal conflict has become surprisingly topical, given Katy Perry’s recent foray into the cosmos, but this track succeeds by understanding the appeal of space travel, rather than straightforwardly rejecting it as a destructive pastime of the super rich. Of course, it is very tempting to decry the likes of Perry, and even more so Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk, for chasing an interstellar vanity project when the one world we have burns, but by painting in shades of grey, Sports Team ensure that they don’t stray too far into preaching to the choir. Not everybody can be Billy Bragg, and for bands such as Sports Team, making music that is enjoyable matters far more than music that is agreeable.

After 'Bonnie', a slightly misconceived effort to incorporate a funk groove into their repertoire, comes the album’s closer 'Maybe When We’re Thirty'. This is truly quintessential Sports Team: a song that simultaneously pokes fun at and finds romance in Britain. Even with their constant pisstaking, you always get the sense that they love their homeland, idiosyncrasies and all, and nothing captures that more than this track. Their ability to find and express both the frustration and joy in ordinary British life is one of the biggest reasons for their success, and although they have upped the sonic glamour on this album, this heart remains core to their success, and central to this album’s strongest moments. Combining this heart with a previously unseen musical adventurousness makes Boys These Days a refreshing addition to their catalogue, and opens up a range of directions that their sound could take going forward.

Score: 7/10

Boys These Days will be released on May 23rd 2025 via Distiller Records.

Words: Ali Glen

Photos: Sports Team