Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
Sports Team burst onto the upper region of the U.K. album chart in 2020 with Deep Down Happy, a debut packed with hyper-catchy, (circa late-'70s) punk-styled indie rock anthems full of cheek and swagger. Two years later, the likewise hook-fueled follow-up, Gulp!, finds the lads more discouraged and anxious but no less irreverent. To that point, the album opens with a long squeal of feedback and galloping guitars and bass on "The Game," which sets the economic scene with "Runnin' home/Past the empty office space/In the half-filled business park..." before later stressing "That's the game/Life's hard but I can't complain." They delve into a darker, driving post-punk on "The Drop," a track whose deadpan baritone backing vocals counterbalance lead singer Alex Rice's ever-exasperated rasp. There, they lament society's tendency to work us 'til death ("So wash your hands of all these childish plans and let 'em die"). Elsewhere, "Unstuck" dips a toe into rockabilly for further working-class regrets ("So I was sleepin' when you got up/And you were sleepin' when I got in"), and they adopt a countrified power pop for the unabashedly fatalistic "Getting Better," which makes an anthem of "It's only getting better/'Til it starts off getting worse." Sports Team return to an angular punk, this time with a Middle Eastern flair, on "Kool Aid" ("I watch my future drying like it's paint"). While lyrically bleak, Gulp! delivers its pessimism with fist-pumping enthusiasm for the most part, at least until the meditative, Kinks-evoking closer "Light Industry" emphasizes life's repetition on the album's one true outlier, like a final wink and a nod.
© Marcy Donelson /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From $16.65/month
Al Greenwood, Drums, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Burke Reid, Producer, Engineer, Programming, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Caesar Edmunds, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Henry Young, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Randy Merrill, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Phil Parsons, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Oli Dewdney, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Sports Team, MainArtist - Ben Mack, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Alex Rice, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Robert Knaggs, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Rob Knaggs, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2022 Universal Music Operations Limited
Al Greenwood, Drums, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Dave McCracken, Vocal Producer, AssociatedPerformer - Burke Reid, Producer, Engineer, Programming, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Caesar Edmunds, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Henry Young, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Randy Merrill, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Phil Parsons, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Oli Dewdney, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Marcus Locock, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Sports Team, MainArtist - Ben Mack, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Alex Rice, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Robert Knaggs, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Rob Knaggs, ComposerLyricist - Oscar Nardo, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2022 Universal Music Operations Limited
Al Greenwood, Drums, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Dave McCracken, Vocal Producer, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - ALAN MOULDER, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Burke Reid, Producer, Engineer, Programming, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Henry Young, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Randy Merrill, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Oli Dewdney, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Marcus Locock, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Sports Team, MainArtist - Ben Mack, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Alex Rice, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Robert Knaggs, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Rob Knaggs, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2022 Universal Music Operations Limited
Al Greenwood, Drums, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Burke Reid, Producer, Engineer, Programming, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Caesar Edmunds, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Henry Young, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Randy Merrill, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Phil Parsons, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Oli Dewdney, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Asha Lorenz, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Sports Team, MainArtist - Ben Mack, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Alex Rice, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Robert Knaggs, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Rob Knaggs, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2022 Universal Music Operations Limited
Al Greenwood, Drums, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Dave McCracken, ComposerLyricist - ALAN MOULDER, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Burke Reid, Producer, Engineer, Programming, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Henry Young, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Randy Merrill, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Oli Dewdney, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Marcus Locock, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Sports Team, MainArtist - Ben Mack, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Alex Rice, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Robert Knaggs, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Rob Knaggs, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2022 Universal Music Operations Limited
Al Greenwood, Drums, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Dave McCracken, Vocal Producer, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - ALAN MOULDER, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Burke Reid, Producer, Recording Engineer, Programming, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Henry Young, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Randy Merrill, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Oli Dewdney, Bass, AssociatedPerformer - Marcus Locock, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Sports Team, MainArtist - Ben Mack, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Alex Rice, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Robert Knaggs, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Oliver Dewdney, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2022 Universal Music Operations Limited
Al Greenwood, Drums, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Burke Reid, Producer, Engineer, Programming, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Caesar Edmunds, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Henry Young, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Randy Merrill, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Phil Parsons, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Oli Dewdney, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Marcus Locock, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Sports Team, MainArtist - Ben Mack, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Alex Rice, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Robert Knaggs, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Rob Knaggs, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2022 Universal Music Operations Limited
Al Greenwood, Drums, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Dave McCracken, ComposerLyricist - ALAN MOULDER, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Burke Reid, Producer, Engineer, Programming, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Henry Young, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Randy Merrill, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Oli Dewdney, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Marcus Locock, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Sports Team, MainArtist - Ben Mack, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Alex Rice, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Robert Knaggs, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Rob Knaggs, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2022 Universal Music Operations Limited
Al Greenwood, Drums, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Burke Reid, Producer, Engineer, Programming, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Caesar Edmunds, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Henry Young, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Randy Merrill, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Phil Parsons, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Oli Dewdney, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Sports Team, MainArtist - Ben Mack, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Alex Rice, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Robert Knaggs, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Rob Knaggs, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2022 Universal Music Operations Limited
Al Greenwood, Drums, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Burke Reid, Producer, Engineer, Programming, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Caesar Edmunds, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Henry Young, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Randy Merrill, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Phil Parsons, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Oli Dewdney, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Sports Team, MainArtist - Ben Mack, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Alex Rice, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Robert Knaggs, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Rob Knaggs, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2022 Universal Music Operations Limited
Album review
Sports Team burst onto the upper region of the U.K. album chart in 2020 with Deep Down Happy, a debut packed with hyper-catchy, (circa late-'70s) punk-styled indie rock anthems full of cheek and swagger. Two years later, the likewise hook-fueled follow-up, Gulp!, finds the lads more discouraged and anxious but no less irreverent. To that point, the album opens with a long squeal of feedback and galloping guitars and bass on "The Game," which sets the economic scene with "Runnin' home/Past the empty office space/In the half-filled business park..." before later stressing "That's the game/Life's hard but I can't complain." They delve into a darker, driving post-punk on "The Drop," a track whose deadpan baritone backing vocals counterbalance lead singer Alex Rice's ever-exasperated rasp. There, they lament society's tendency to work us 'til death ("So wash your hands of all these childish plans and let 'em die"). Elsewhere, "Unstuck" dips a toe into rockabilly for further working-class regrets ("So I was sleepin' when you got up/And you were sleepin' when I got in"), and they adopt a countrified power pop for the unabashedly fatalistic "Getting Better," which makes an anthem of "It's only getting better/'Til it starts off getting worse." Sports Team return to an angular punk, this time with a Middle Eastern flair, on "Kool Aid" ("I watch my future drying like it's paint"). While lyrically bleak, Gulp! delivers its pessimism with fist-pumping enthusiasm for the most part, at least until the meditative, Kinks-evoking closer "Light Industry" emphasizes life's repetition on the album's one true outlier, like a final wink and a nod.
© Marcy Donelson /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 10 track(s)
- Total length: 00:33:38
- Main artists: Sports Team
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Universal-Island Records Ltd.
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock Alternative & Indie
© 2022 Universal Music Operations Limited ℗ 2022 Universal Music Operations Limited
Improve album informationWhy buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.