Remember Sports: The Refrigerator [Album Review]

Remember Sports
The Refrigerator
Get Better Records [2026]

“Remember Sports know who they are — and The Refrigerator proves it.”

Album Overview: Remember Sports started out as a college band called Sports back in 2012 at Kenyon College in Ohio. They built their reputation through solid live performances and a sound that kept changing with each release. After dropping their name to “Remember Sports” in 2017, the Philadelphia group has released two albums and continued to build a loyal fanbase. Their fifth record, The Refrigerator, on Get Better Records is their first album since 2021’s Like a Stone, which they couldn’t tour behind because of COVID. Singer Carmen Perry wrote most of these songs while working as an elementary school teacher during the pandemic. The record captures what it’s like to be in your late twenties and trying to figure everything out. Perry says it feels like a Saturn return record, where all your past selves crash into your present life and you have to deal with it. The band recorded at Chicago’s Electrical Audio right after Steve Albini passed away, which added weight to the sessions. For the first time since their debut, they produced it themselves.

Musical Style: The Refrigerator mixes indie rock with pop punk energy and some emo tendencies. The guitars have this warm, slightly grungy tone that sits somewhere between clean and distorted. Songs like “Bug” hit hard with faster tempos and shouted vocals, while tracks like “Ghost” bring in unexpected elements like bagpipes and strings. The rhythm section of Catherine Dwyer on bass and new drummer Julian Powell keeps everything tight without being too polished. Jack Washburn’s guitar work adds layers throughout, sometimes chiming in with bright melodies and other times grinding into fuzz. There’s a looseness to the production that makes it feel like you’re in the room with them. The band doesn’t stick to one template, moving between scrappy punk songs and more reflective indie rock without making it feel forced.

Evolution of Sound: Compared to earlier records, The Refrigerator shows Remember Sports getting more comfortable experimenting. They’ve moved away from some of the cleaner college rock sound of their early work and embraced rougher edges. The self-production gives them freedom to try new ideas without worrying if they fit a specific genre. There’s more variety in song structures here than on previous albums. Some tracks like “Thumb” and “Cut Fruit” feel urgent and unfiltered, built around wordless melodies that Perry turned into lyrics later. Other songs take their time building atmosphere. The Americana influences that were more noticeable on Like a Stone are less prominent this outing. Overall, this feels like a band that’s been playing together long enough to know what works for them.

Artists with Similar Fire: If you like Remember Sports, check out Ratboys, who share that same balance of indie rock warmth and emotional honesty. Wednesday brings a similar grunge-influenced sound with sharp songwriting. Cayetana (who are no longer together but whose members went on to form Gladie) operated in the same Philadelphia scene with comparable energy. Diet Cig and Charly Bliss both have that scrappy pop punk spirit. Hop Along shares the Philadelphia connection and Frances Quinlan’s vocal intensity isn’t far from Perry’s delivery. Swearin’ and Speedy Ortiz round out the list of bands working in this space between emo, indie rock, and punk.

Pivotal Tracks: “Roadkill” was the first song written for the album and sets up the big existential questions that run through the whole thing. “Bug” captures pandemic boredom perfectly, with Perry singing about stepping on old food and feeling stuck in repetitive cycles. It is the first track here that brings you back to Remember Sports earlier indie rock days with lots of guitar. “Thumb” comes from a teenage perspective and has this bratty energy that makes it one of the catchiest moments. “Cut Fruit” erupts with raw emotion and some of Perry’s most visceral lyrics. “Ghost” stands out for its unexpected instrumentation, bringing in bagpipes and strings in a way that actually works. “Nevermind” closes the album with a shimmer that slowly breaks down into heavier territory, dealing with how new love can make tired gestures feel fresh again.

Lyrical Strength: Perry writes about everyday situations and turns them into bigger questions about identity and purpose. She’s good at finding the emotional weight in mundane stuff like cleaning your room or cutting fruit. Lines like “I fell in love with the sound of my insides hitting the ground” on “Cut Fruit” take familiar phrases and make them physical and uncomfortable again. The lyrics don’t try too hard to be poetic. They sound like actual thoughts someone would have while doing dishes or lying in bed unable to sleep. Perry connects childhood memories with adult anxieties without getting sentimental about it. Working with kids during COVID made her think about protecting her younger self, and that shows up in how she approaches vulnerability. The writing balances being direct with leaving room for interpretation.

Final Groove: The Refrigerator delivers exactly what Remember Sports does well: honest songwriting, energetic performances, and a refusal to fit neatly into any genre box. It’s not a perfect record and has some pacing issues in the middle section, but the high points justify the listen. The self-production works in their favor, giving the album a specific personality even when individual songs don’t fully land. For longtime fans, this confirms the band is still growing without abandoning what made people care about them in the first place. For newcomers, it’s a solid entry point that shows their range. As Remember Sports head into their second decade, they’ve proven they can keep making interesting music while staying true to themselves. Whatever comes next should be worth paying attention to.

REMEMBER SPORTS REVIEW HISTORY
Slow Buzz (2018) / All Of Something (2015)

REMEMBER SPORTS LINKS
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Bandcamp | Get Better Records