Tapping the euphoric communion of the dance floor, Cub Sport’s fifth album celebrates the acceptance of love in all forms. Named for a poem by Jay Hulme, Jesus at the Gay Bar draws in part on the long-standing relationship between married band members Tim Nelson and Sam Netterfield, which also provided a central theme for 2020’s Like Nirvana. The pair first connected romantically as young teens but only came out later in life, as Nelson recounts in “Keep Me Safe”: “Went and got a girlfriend/Just to throw them off track.” It’s a touchingly personal study of what he now describes as an intense inner conflict—especially the pitched-down vocals that frame the central plea for validation. Beyond the increasingly mature subject matter, these songs continue the Brisbane quartet’s evolution from guitar-based indie pop to poignant electronic epiphanies. Once again producing themselves, Cub Sport retain that narrative intimacy while gliding easily from the crystalline breakbeats of “High for the Summer” to the glitzy house hook of “Songs About It”. After all, there are always more corners of the club to explore.
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