I think my favorite thing about this song is just the 'joie de vivre.' Seriously, in the world that we are living in, the simple fact that there is a band in Orlando based around singer-songwriter Cat Ridgeway that is clearly both making great music and having a good time doing it, is itself a breakthrough. Extra points for making a fun music video, that is probably making some point about athletics, and tryouts, and running; or maybe it isn't, because I TLDR'd the lyrics; but the guitars are loud and fuzzy, the music has a good beat that you can dance to; it's a beautifully-written track that you can pay attention to or not. Either way it's a good time.

Because there is a lot of nuance there if you're willing to dig. In her way, and through her lyrics, Ridgeway is going face-to-face with the fragility of human existence; the duality of life and death. The mental volatility of those around her. "Sprinter" was inspired at a Kishi Bashi show, on New Year’s Eve of 2023 in Athens, GA, as Ridgeway watched in awe while Mike Savino got on stage and 'blew her mind.' I love that little detail because the sense of urgency is there: this song had to happen, and had to be written in the way that it was. We are all the more lucky for having such a lively video to go with it. With beautiful cinematography and a loose narrative arc, the video for "Sprinter" offers a glimpse into the friendships and life that Cat loves so well. This is a beautiful moment-in-time for one of Florida's hottest new artists.

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Photo credit: Gabe Lugo