CHINESE FOOTBALL - Win&Lose 2xLP (Yellow / Orange Vinyl)

Label: Dog Knights

On New Year’s Eve (2022), Chinese Football released their new album. A mix of bubbly indie pop and emo built on math-rock foundations, ‘Win&Lose’ was the Wuhan-based band’s first full-length record since 2015 and their first release of any kind in almost four years. It ought to have been a moment of excitement and celebration, the beginning of a new chapter. Yet in many ways there was a pervading sense of finality surrounding the LP, the feeling of a line being drawn, the ending of an era.

Even with a new album out, few would begrudge a band who hail from a city so closely associated with the coronavirus a desire to move on. “This ‘new album’ is already in the past tense for me, just like the past three years have also come to an end,” says singer and guitarist Xu Bo. Despite having a new, accomplished album to promote, perhaps understandably Xu is keen to focus on fresh beginnings. To look to the future, whatever that may bring, win or lose. “The next chapter for Chinese Football has begun,” he says, “and I don’t know where it will go, which is probably the most exciting part.”