The things that first annoyed me about this disc are now what I find to be their most endearing qualities. It's pretty low-fi, but not in that Guided by Pavement sorta way. It sounds more like it could be your friend's 4-track recordings, in its almost too accessible sound. However, I am not personally friends with Sportsguitar, but after listening to this disc and slowly becoming addicted, I feel kinda like we are friends.  

        The rhythm guitar of Roland Saum sounds like miked nylon-stringed acoustice, and the lead is often a blanket of fuzzy assonance. The drums, wehn they appear, are Violent Femmish brushings on the snare, which help give it that keep-it-simple- feel. And Oliver Obert's voice is so right up front that it was annoying at first. 

         Now though, songs like "Hero" and "Reliable" are infectious in their upfront approaches.  

        "I'm so reliable. I get very disappointed when people don't show up. For example, they can't keep what they promised," he sings. The fact that they're Swiss might explain the possible language barrier honesty.  

        In another tune called "Chords," Obert sings over Saum's jangles, "We're a band and we are friends."

         And hey, isn't that what being in a band is all about? Being friends, having fun and calling yourself something neat like Sportsguitar.Back