First of all, let’s get the fact that the lead single is about motorways, the M5 specifically, and it’s a fuckin’ belter of a tune. In one short, sharp swipe Sports Team glamorise driving along the road in they only way they know how, with pure charm and wit.
As for the rest of the EP, the instrumentals are as plain as the themes Rice talks about. There’s a drunken plod throughout, a lazy collection of strums and uninspiring beats, but who actually cares about the guitars and drums here? If you’re listening to Sports Team for all that nonsense you’re in the wrong place. We all know that the main event here is Alex Rice. What he’s going to write about next? What random dance move he’s going to throw next? It’s all-about him, it’s the Alex Rice show, and that’s exactly what he wants. On stage, you can’t help but think of a young Ian Curtis but on record, he’s more reminiscent of a young Jarvis Cocker. His stories are born out the sheer mundane actions of people and the general everyday, brought to life with clever wordplay and a wailing vocal. There’s something endearingly romantic about these songs and whilst the music isn’t exactly complex or catchy, Rice’s lyricism and unique delivery is far too intriguing to ignore.
Written with positivity, as if the idea of Brexit hasn’t even been born yet, Keep Walking! is a collection of post-Brexit Britpop pop that paints a pompous caricature of middle-class, champagne socialist Britain. Albeit uninspiring musically and thematically, the allure and aura of Alex Rice is all that’s required to keep you interested in one of Britain’s most exciting bands.
