Remember Sports are a long way from the Gambier, Ohio college basement shows that began their career. The group underwent a name change and a move to Philly over the run of their first three albums, and in the process became one of the most consistently kick ass groups in indie rock today. The band’s early efforts were defined by their immediacy; Their first album Sunchokes was recorded in a hurry strictly as an attempt to just capture how they sounded live in those Ohio basements before they graduated college. While the band has certainly never lost their punch, with each record Remember Sports gets a bit more comfortable taking their time and really exploring their sonic range. They dropped “Out Loud” earlier this week, the third single from their upcoming album Like a Stone due out later this month. “Out Loud” is among the most stunning songs in the band’s discography, and a track that could not be more emblematic of their career-long sonic development.
“Out Loud” starts with Carmen Perry cooing in a high pitch whisper with a heavy echo, before Jack Washburn comes in with comforting backup vocals and the negative space is finally filled up with a bevy of guitars. The track vacuums out for the verses and fills back up for the choruses, with Carmen singing, “We can make this last if you say it out loud,” a little louder and a liiiiiiitle louder every time she closes off the chorus. After three choruses of steady build up Carmen closes the last refrain with a massive triumphant scream, singing, “I’m not going nowhere yet // So don’t you walk away from me now. YEAAAAAH!” The last minute of the track following this bellowing yell finds the band playing quietly and steadily, repeating the chorus “I won’t stop, never give up, trying to get everything out // Of your head into your mouth. We can make this last if you say it out loud,” almost as if they were trying to physically recover from the hell they had just wrought with their last gargantuan roar. Carmen’s scream to close out that refrain is nothing short of breathtaking. It requires eyes closed, hands raised pantomiming of shouting along every time I play this track back. I really could not possibly oversell this refrain if I tried, it’s that spectacular. It must have been satisfying to record but I could see it just as easily having been headache inducing if multiple takes were required. Regardless it made for one hell of a capstone to what feels like it could be a defining track of this era of the band.
“Out Loud” shows how much Remember Sports has matured over the years, from fast and punky to methodical and melodic, while never losing their edge. To that effect the calming quiet of much of “Out Loud” is precisely what makes that massive shout at the end feel so well earned. Remember Sports may have come a long way from college basements, but at the same time “Out Loud” is a testament to the dynamic, punchy, and awe-inspiring band they’ve been the whole time.
Follow Remember Sports on twitter and insta, stream “Out Loud” on Spotify and Apple Music, pre-order Like a Stone on BandCamp, and pick up a vinyl or shirt at their webstore while you are at it!
