Released on October 30th, 2026, the new EP from closed quarters, the sports tape EP, brings to the table something that is, at its core, very human, though at the same time, something that is also possibly more than human. The surreal nature of the vocals and instrumentals imply a weightlessness to the tracks that few artists are able to achieve, the audio carrying this whisper of otherworldliness and the supernatural in a way that makes one wonder, when the begin to listen to the EP, if perhaps they are not awake, but asleep and dreaming. Characterized by its doubled vocals on each track and variety in tone and sound, the sports tape EP should be on everyone’s list of projects to listen to.
I am grateful that, in the review process for this EP, I was able to interview Tim, the vocalist of closed quarters, and get some really valuable insights into the creative process behind the EP as well as hear about some of the things that went into creating it. I think that there is no better way to understand a piece of artwork than to hear about the process of its creation, and I have a lot of gratitude for Tim and closed quarters for sharing their time and story, allowing me to peer deeper into the surreal nature of the sports tape EP.
The first track is “More and More Malibu” (and I think this was such a good choice for a first track), and upon playing the song, the listener is drawn in by what appears at first to be simple guitar strumming, but very quickly the doubled vocals that characterize the sports tape EP come in with a haunting tonality and a serious unseriousness that helps set the auditory tone for the EP. My favorite part of “More and More Malibu” are the lyrics “you / you wish me dead / the monster I am” which bring us into the second chorus and highlight the contrast between the doubled vocals and the bass in a way that feels both grounding but also as if we as the listener are being lifted off of our feet against our will. I also have a special love for the outro of the song with its leering treble melody that seems to envelop me whether I want to be held by it or not.
When I asked Tim about some of the inspirations that went into the EP, he said that some musical inspiration came from The Beatles, Modest Mouse, and Bright Eyes, but also that some of his inspiration came from books that he’d read. We specifically discussed Grapes of Wrath and Frankenstein, specifically the surrealist nature and tone of both books. The Haunting of Hill House was another one mentioned, and that one specifically stuck out to me because that’s what the tone of the entire EP is: haunting. Whether it’s the ghost of benevolence and gentleness or a ghost of harshness and of the wilderness, it follows you throughout the sports tape EP and twirls itself around your skull as you venture through each of the five tracks.
The second track, “Cut Me Some Slack”, starts off with a whirlwind, country-folk-style riff that is energetic and bright. When Tim and I were discussing the wonderful diversity in sound found in the sports tape EP, he said that “sometimes I'll go a little country, sometimes I'll go a little electronic. That's kind of the Bright Eyes influence, you know?” The country influences in the second track and the EP as a whole add such a brightness and flair to the overall tonality that I think that without them, the EP would be a wholly different project otherwise. “Cut Me Some Slack” has a melody that sounds similar to a lot of folk songs that, when paired with the instrumental, have this nostalgic sort of effect that is very comforting and grounded. The doubled vocals, though, add just enough of a surrealist feeling that one can’t help but wonder what exactly they are nostalgic for. Perhaps maybe a memory that doesn’t even really exist.
The third track, “The Fast Lane”, brings in that electronic influence but blends it magnificently with emo influences that come through very clearly in both the verse and the chorus, and there’s this slight twang to the guitar riff that adds an element of intrigue as one listens through the track. Again, that surrealist nature comes through, but this time it’s a lot more similar to the tone of the second track than the first, inspiring a sort of fabricated nostalgia that sits right under the ribs of the listener as Tim’s vocals swim through the soundwaves. When I interviewed Tim, he brought up The Pixies as an influence for his overall sound, and that inspiration is very clearly seen in “The Fast Lane”, especially its chorus, and the lyrical tone of the third track blends seamlessly into the tone of the fourth track, “Underground”.
“Underground” is easily my favorite track from the sports tape EP. It’s got those surreal doubled vocals, but the folk and country influence help to create this sort of dark and moody yet fast-paced track that seems to be dragging us as the listener down a dark dirt road under the light of a bright, full moon. Because it was my favorite track, I had to ask Tim about it, and he said that “I don't write a lot of political things. I just feel like the state we're in, talking about really just giving the middle finger as we just kind of dance all the way down to wherever. And it's just about, I think, ‘Underground’ is just about staying true to what you believe in and not letting the powers that be try to control and manipulate us”. And it really does have that “screw you” tone that so many of the great folk projects have, but when you add in that surrealist tonality, it takes on a much bigger presence, as if Charon or Death themselves were present and holding up the middle finger alongside you, as if some little devil is singing along in agreement. It’s such an incredible track and when Tim told me that this EP was a calming down from their recent album The Lummox that kind of caps off the tone of that project, it made more sense as, in my perspective, “Underground” is also an ode to an ending, though the sort of ending it presents is up to individual interpretation.
The final track, “The Human Side” is just that: the human side. The human presence shows itself completely, laying itself bare upon the train tracks. The opening bass riff that leads in the electronic melody sets this sort of magical tone that completely opens up as the doubled vocals make their appearance. The electronic melody brings in those folk and country influences from earlier in the EP with the bass and vocals adding in those punk and emo elements, creating this beautiful and magnificent blend of every piece of every journey we’ve taken as listeners so far. It reminds us that, against all odds, we are all human and will all remain so, regardless of what anyone else may think.
Tim and I concluded our interview with a discussion about an upcoming show on November 6th at Gigantic Records in Kansas City as well as one on December 12th at Replay Lounge in Lawrence. If you love music for novelists, eldritch beings, fighters, fire-starters, and friends, getting to one of those shows should be among your top priorities.
ALL RIGHTS TO THIS REVIEW GO TO THE AUTHOR = VALORIE MERSMAN (BLOG CONTRIBUTOR)