Keys - 'There's No I In Teams'
Libertino

I've been a fan of Keys ever since I saw them play at Crowleys for the Swansea Fringe in 2019 They filled up the tiny sweat and beer-stained bar with their raucous energy and two-drummer powered groove, and I've paid attention to them ever since.

All has been quiet from the legendary band since their 2020 record Home Schooling, a creative exploration of the possibilities of 4-track cassette recording. Music is intrisinsically connected to memory. When I listen to Home Schooling now, it takes me back to that insane period of Covid chaos, masks, lockdowns, and most vividly, Zoom calls - appropriately enough, the subject of the new single 'There's No I In Teams', a tour-de-force of infectious, angular, spiky power pop that explores the dehumanising and alienating experience of working from home and enduring endless remote meetings through a monitor.

It does so with an upbeat riff and a gentle, endearing sense of humour; '2024, so much tension, I'm staying indoors, I'm looking out the window, I'm staring at the birds, I should be concentrating on my manager's words'. The sentiment is relatable, the music is lively, with a new wave rockabilly vibe that reminds me a bit of Elvis Costello. Lovely sprinkles of cowbell and an spacious feel to the instrumentation and production. It makes me want to dance energetically around my bedroom/home studio. It's also only 2.16 minutes long. There's really no need for a song to be longer than that, is there?

It's a good satire of generic, inane corporate jobspeak. There might be no I in teams, but there's no "us" or "we" either, although there is a "me". Personally, I love it when songs explore unusual topics, especially aspects of everyday life that probably haven't been covered in songs before. To me, that's part of the art - trying to notice things that have gone unnoticed. I'm looking forward to seeing this live and excited as hell to hear more new music from Keys.

Tom Emlyn

https://www.facebook.com/KEYSband1