There's something instantly disarming about Sports' new single, "If You Want Me" It's a kind of warm invitation that seems both close and chill. The Oklahoma-based dream-pop duo, comprising long-time friends Cale Chronister and Christian Theriot, returns in sparkling fashion on this groove-infused release, marking the beginning of what looks to be a thrilling new phase for their sound.
"If You Want Me" is essentially a love letter, a soulful hymn to emotional liberation and radical self-acceptance. It's about choosing love over control, the band says. That feeling comes across effortlessly, as the song wells with the spirit of surrender, the bassline nudges you to move, and the drums push the song forward with a taut, almost meditative groove. There's a retro gleam to it all, glimpses of '80s synth-pop sheen and psychedelic underpinnings, yet nothing about "If You Want Me" feels merely dreamy in a limiting sense. Instead, Sports boil those touchstones down into something that feels uniquely their own, buoyantly colored, a little bit woozy, and unafraid of being soft. It's crisp, but never sterile, textures dissolve into one another like golden afternoon light through half-open blinds.
Chronister's delivery of the song's message is unforced and sincere, balancing falsetto and whisper, as one does when trying to tell the truth without scaring you. It's that tenderness combined with the buoyant instrumental track that adds to the song's portrayal of a slow dance between two people figuring out how to see each other.