Cub Sport

Australian band Cub Sport return with their fretfully sweet second album, BATS.

The sophomore effort takes on themes of, love, self-doubt, and trying to keep hold of hard-won happiness.

This is the first new material since Bandmates, Tim Nelson and Sam Netterfield got together and came out as gay. This informs the album, taking material from the couple’s trials, tribulations, and emotional revelations. That being said, songs do well to maintain strong universality.

The gospel inflected ‘O Lord’ is an early highlight of the 13-track offering (16 including bonus tracks). The plea, presumably to a lover, “Don't turn your back on me" is beautifully brought to life by the pristine vocals of Nelson.

Throughout the LP, it seems as if the protagonist is constantly unsure of his relationship.
If he’s not asking, “Why stay around and put up with me?”, (‘Look After Me’) or proclaiming, “I’m breaking my back to try and make sure you’re still happy with me”, (‘Good Guys Go’) then he’s lovingly enquiring, “What did I do? Do I deserve you?” (‘Solo III’).

In the album’s most poignant and genuine track, ‘Crush’ the singer pours out his heart to his Beau as he ponders what pain he has caused in denying his feelings. The story is well constructed and carries with it an air of emotional believability.

Melodically, the Aussies mostly succeed in blending pop, with gospel and R&B. ‘O Lord’ combines the sweet musicality of the vocals, with the unlikely partnership of the church organ, and the up-tempo drums. Meanwhile, ‘Temporarily’ feels like a trip back to the 1980s with synths featuring prominently on the bright sounding track.

Overall, BATS is a good next step for Cub Sport with some strong highlights along the way. The personal feel to the album adds a welcome layer of depth and facilitates the LPs best moments.