The cathartic, gospel-influenced "O Lord" is the first taste of Brisbane indie pop quartet Cub Sport's upcoming sophomore album Bats (out on September 22). Without context, the song is a heartfelt and soulful confession with a refreshing ‘80s-influenced pop production, a lyrical cousin of the band's best-known song "Come On Mess Me Up". It's moving refrain - a compassionate showcase of vulnerability and personal dependence on the Lord's goodwill - would fit right at home at any contemporary church's worship session: 'O Lord, don't turn your back on me/ O Lord, I need you here with me'.
The switch of addressee in the song's outro ('My love, don't turn your back on me/ My love, I need you here with me') and a verse that appears addresses a mortal being ('But there's something in this saying you'll leave/ And I'm terrified') nevertheless indicates that lead vocalist Tim Nelson is not solely preoccupied with securing spiritual redemption. The accompanying sensual and soft-focus music video, which features a smoke-filled backdrop and multiple close-up shots of a shirtless Nelson and keyboardist/vocalist Sam Netterfield embracing each other in vibrant makeup, makes the queerness of the song's context clear:
“This is the first music video we've made since Sam and I came out as gay last year, so as well as experiencing a lot of personal freedom, it feels like a creative block has been lifted. After years of being self-conscious about how I fit into gender norms and how masculine or feminine I am, I finally feel free to just be myself.
“This video challenges everything I grew up believing about masculinity, beauty and homosexuality — it's super liberating to create this video and feel free from judgment, both internally and externally. Conceptually, this video aims to capture the fragile, confusing happiness of finally getting the very thing you've always wanted most, accompanied by feelings of then having everything to lose.”
Tim Nelson, The FADER
The steady drum loop, gospel-style harmonies, and uplifting organ help create a poignant, intimate and transcendent prayer that demonstrates both vulnerability and hard-won inner conviction. The fact that this music video has been released at a time when Australia is preparing to take stock of its attitudes toward gay marriage as a nation elevates it further, into an earnest political plea for tolerance and acceptance - in a sonic package that will be incredibly familiar to religious conservatives.
