EP Review: dad sports - 'I AM JUST A BOY LEAVE ME ALONE'
An EP that would perfectly fit to be the soundtrack to an indie coming of age film, ‘I AM JUST A BOY LEAVE ME ALONE !!!’ radiates a nostalgic comfort and charm as their songs delve into their adolescence and relationships.
dad sports’ lo-fi bedroom pop that is brought to life through jangly guitars and their experimentation on electronic drum machines, has a captivating authenticity to it, and upon listening, transports you into their world. Formed in the early hours of the morning in the Ottawa suburbs, the Canadian three-piece have poured their own experiences into the EPs six tracks, and have transformed their somewhat ordinary suburban experiences into something so much more.
‘out 4 a breather’ introduces the EP with dreamy layered guitars and synths. The track is subtly loaded with an abundance of instruments and effects that are layered together perfectly (best to listen with headphones), creating a richness that is brought to a balance through Plante’s delicately layered vocals; You can only begin to imagine what it would sound like live. Endearing from start to finish, a relaxing warmth beams from this track, as it explores infatuation and its early feelings of unknowingness. The second song ‘if u want to,’ follows in the similar footsteps of indie, bedroom pop, however this time, with more of an emphasis on their percussion.
Taking a more classic indie approach, is ‘gf haircut’, a song about breakups; Covering the more cynical side of romance, their clever lyricism and energetic guitar blend manages to provide a more encouraging spin on the topic, as Plante sings ‘’I don’t want to be stuck with your overgrown haircut.’
‘nrvs again,’ quickly switches things back up, as the recently released single kickstarts with its fast-paced, electronic drums. When talking about the track, Plante says, “I wrote the chorus for this song 2018, before dad sports was even a thing. I was still finding myself as an artist and was pretty (nrvs) about what others would think of my songs. These insecurities are what shaped the lyrics. I realized that you’re always gonna be insecure in some way about your art, but that's just part of the process of improving.’’
Bringing the EP to a close is ‘name & place,’ a track that showcases the most experimental they’ve been with their mixing of drums, effects and synths. Together they create a disorientating beginning, almost replicating something of a dream like state, before returning back into their established sound. Together, the song captures the essence of the whole EP, as comfortingly anthemic indie brings it to a close.
As we slowly return to normality, ‘’I AM JUST A BOY LEAVE ME ALONE !!!’ has found itself released at the perfect time. Full of songs that force you to feel a sort of nostalgia and yearning for times you’re maybe yet to even experience, as we count down the days to live life at its fullest again, many can turn to this EP to remember the times the band make music about, are just around the corner.
Words by Emily McIntyre