Image courtesy of Sports Bandcamp

In 2015, Oklahoma band Sports dipped their toes into a shimmering pool of 80‰’s style synth pop with their EP Naked All The Time. A year later, they dove in head first. These beautiful wizards cranked out another EP, titled People Can‰’t Stop Chillin. This seven track album captures the feeling of driving at 12:15 a.m. in July, draping your wrist out of your window. It taps into a sexy, late-night aesthetic that so few bands manage to demonstrate so effortlessly.

The first song, “Someone You‰’d Rather Be Dating‰” hooks you with lush vocals over a wah-wah pedal and soft drum beats. It then bursts into a dancy melody at the chorus. Sports utilizes this formula a lot throughout this album. “Manicure‰” is just as bright and silky. It feels retro, stylish, and sophisticated. Deep vocals draped over sax solos force you to dance along, or at the very least sway your shoulders. Each song juxtaposes upbeat piano melodies with slow saxophone solos. Dreamy vocals round out each track. The middle track “Drivin‰’ On by You‰” is reminiscent of couch-locked hedonistic nights. Put it on as you breathe in cool air and feel the rapturous hooks grab you.

Sports buckles you into the passenger seat of their white convertible (ÌÊ la the album cover) as you glide through songs about strained relationships (“Someone You‰’d Rather Be Dating),‰” physical insecurity (“Manicure‰Û), and lust (“Drivin‰’ on by You). Every song is complete with breathy vocals, honeyed sax, and eloquent lyrics.

The final song is called “People Can‰’t Stop Chillin.‰” It‰’s a slow instrumental ballad garnished with the sound of clinking glasses. It feels melancholy, signaling that this album full of syrupy, glittery songs is finally coming to an end. Like cool summer nights themselves, this album is over before you know it. You‰’re left with a sense of longing and nostalgia. It was so good while it lasted. You‰’re forced to cling onto a short hook because let‰’s face it, you‰’re never gonna get something like “Gotta Know Better (I‰’m Crazy)‰” out of your head.

Sports reminds me of that friend that‰’s just naturally cool. Like, so cool that they‰’re not even aware of it because it‰’s just what they do. They‰’re dressed in shiny leather and dance under blue neon lights. They‰’re the life of the party and you‰’re compelled to copy everything they do because you want to embody the “carelessly chic‰” aesthetic too.

This album so perfectly captures the phase between adolescence and adulthood. It‰’s fresh yet mature. Every note and every lyric is crafted with purpose. It sounds lo-fi enough that maybe it could be produced in a basement studio littered with PBR cans, but we all know that nothing this refined could ever be created on a whim.

RIYL: Homeshake, The Walters, Mild High Club, Whitney