Cub Sport, Cub Sport | Album Review 💿

Australian alt-pop collective Cub Sport delivers a relatable, honest, project with their self-titled third LP, encompassing sexuality.

Australian alt-pop collective Cub Sport (Tim Nelson, Dan Puusaari, Sam Netterfield, and Zoe Davis) returned in 2019 with their self-titled, third studio album.  For those stateside and unaware of the band, they delivered a killer cover of Kanye West’s “Ultralight Beam” on triple j). Personally, this is my first album I’ve listened to from the collective and Cub Sport certainly doesn’t disappoint, particularly incorporating the process of coming to terms with sexuality and falling in love.

“Unwinding Myself (Intro)”

“I’m tapping into something / I am finally feeling something / I am not denying myself anymore / I can finally feel the things that I’d avoid.” That’s powerful. ✓ “Unwinding Myself (Intro)” commences Cub Sport in enigmatic, haunting, and, indeed, powerful fashion.  Frontman Tim Nelson sounds absolutely superb as he bears his soul on the acapella intro, which is nearly a full-length record.  Clearly, accepting and embracing sexuality is a key takeaway. Follow up ✓ “Video,” featuring Mallrat, smartly gives Cub Sport both groove and tempo.  Interestingly, lyrically, there’s an emphasis on the individual, with liberal use of ‘I’ and ‘my’ (“I’m gonna think about the good love that we made… / I think I know myself, I’m gonna think ‘bout the good love that we made”). This seems to be a record focused on building confidence, and fearlessness regarding relationships and sexuality.

“Even the highs feel like lows / I’m sick of all of my clothes / I’m getting tired of the same conversations / I can’t accept the feelings of elation.” On stellar promo single ✓ “Sometimes,” Nelson receives an ‘education,’ and the focal point is, well, himself.  His feelings are all over the place, and he’s trying to sort through them all.  This is all capped off by the high-flying chorus, which is poetic and highly-relatable.

“Sometimes I feel
Like my heart has been split open
You see everything I’m hoping
I’m a river running high
Sometimes I feel
Like there’s a freeway running down my neck
There’s traffic passing through my chest and through my mind.”

“Limousine” 

Groove continues to be the best friend of Cub Sport on the sleek “Limousine.” As awesome as the groove is, there are plenty of elite happenings, including an infectious chorus.  After keeping things low-key, the chorus is quite the burst of energy. That said, prior to the chorus, the pre-chorus features the pivotal lyric, “‘Cause fucking you is like DMT / I wanna set our spirits free.” That’s some lit sex. “Lift Me Up” isn’t a lyrical showcase, featuring merely the titular lyric.  Nonetheless, it’s a vibe, which is clearly what the collective intended.  Like the majority of Cub Sport, the groove and production are major selling points.  Anyone listening is definitely sure to be “lifted.”

✓ “Light II” keeps things short and sweet, featuring only one verse.  Even so, it’s a meaningful, beautifully sung verse by Tim Nelson. He sounds incredibly emotional, filled with expression and authenticity, particularly the emphasis on repeated lyrics such as “Baby, baby, baby” and “Again, and again, and again.” His falsetto is killer towards the end. ✓ “Butterflies” marks a stylistic shift, embracing alternative R&B, hip-hop, and urban music. The results continue to be electric, particularly the masterful, memorable, and rhythmic chorus:

“Oh, I’ve been living up here so high
With the trees and with the birds and butterflies
Fantasy, yeah, you and me here in my eyes
Hold on, boy, you’re taking over my mind, taking over my mind
Yeah, I’ve been living up here so high
With the trees and with the birds and butterflies
Fantasy, yeah, you and me here in my eyes
Hold on, boy, you’re taking over my mind, taking over my mind
(I’ve been living up here so high).” 

“Trees” 

“Trees” sounds pretty breezy and chill, chocked-full of sexy, loving vibes.  Essentially, Nelson has trouble describing the effects of love.  Clearly, he’s infatuated, and definitely stimulated as well – “All the things that you’re doing with your hands.” ✓ “Come Out” is among the biggest moments of the album, finding Nelson addressing his sexuality (“Yeah, I came out and I felt fucking free”). That said, Nelson makes it clear that sexuality isn’t the only thing he struggled with, continuing on the second verse, “But there’s more I keep inside of me.” Interestingly, on the bridge, he reveals some of his struggles (“I struggle with my body and my mind from time to time”).

“I think I’m gonna love you for a long time
Boy, I can’t go a minute without you on my mind.”

✓ “Party Pill” continues the progression for Cub Sport.  Nelson describes falling in love for the first time and working toward acceptance and embracement of the reality.  This is the perfect record for someone questioning, or who has questioned their sexuality; it’s quite relatable and authentic to the nth degree.  In the context of Cub Sport, it’s yet another masterfully performed, produced, and written gem. Arguably, “Party Pill” is the crowning achievement.

“As Long as You’re Happy” 

So, after magnificent moments like “Come Out” and “Party Pill,” what does Cub Sport do? They just continue to churn out some of the most gorgeous music you’ll ever hear, sigh.  ✓ “As Long as You’re Happy” keeps the awe-inspiring nature of Cub Sport, well, awe-inspiring.  The falsetto is chilling and pure, while Nelson sounds equally on-point when he opts for his full-fledged, chest voice.  

“You can do what you want with me
I’ll be anyone that you want me to be.” 

“Acid Rain” features only the second guest of Cub Sport, Al Wright.  That said, Wright doesn’t appear until the end, on the outro. Of course, Nelson holds things down capably, continuing to bless the track with his marvelous pipes and authentic delivery.  Just as Nelson “Could get lost out here with you,” it’s easy to ‘get lost’ in his hypnotic vocals.  Vocals reign supreme on “Stars,” as do bright, major-key synths.  Embracing some wavy, oscillating effects (vocally and instrumentally), the vibes are real. The rhythmic, soulful penultimate record “I’m Not Scared” embraces self-progression. Additionally, it emphasizes the desire for your significant other’s presence and support as part of the process.  Again, it is another beautiful moment from the LP.

“Summer Lover”

“Baby, you know I never had a summer with another / I always get burned / Baby, yeah, I’ve been hiding in shadows riding the highs and the lows in the sand.” Closer ✓ “Summer Lover” opens with bright-sounding, enthusiastic synths, that set up the summery, sunny tone of the record.  Much like the synths that precede, the lead vocals are also bright and enthusiastic, drenched in reverb. The melody is lovely – carefree and the perfect representation of summery vibes. Cub Sport are going for a dreamy sound, one slightly ‘messier’ with less finesse (‘blended together’ if you will).  This suits the theme of the song.  The chorus section is arguably the crème de la crème, featuring superb layering and contrast of upper register vocals (“I’m gonna take you to the beach…”) and lower register vocals (“I’d never had a summer with another”).

Final Thoughts

All in all, Cub Sport delivers a brilliant, socially-relevant album.  Tim Nelson and company do a magnificent job of highlighting relatable personal issues, with sexuality topping the list.  This is an album, at least in the United States, that only a few will hear, but more should be listening to. If you’ve ever struggled with sexuality, and coming to terms with it, Cub Sport fantastically captures the process.

✓ Gems: “Unwinding Myself (Intro),” “Video,” “Sometimes,” “Light II,” “Butterflies,” “Come Out,” “Party Pill,” “As Long As You’re Happy” & “Summer Lover”

Cub Sport • Cub Sport • Cub Sport • Release: 1.18.19

Photo Credit: Cub Sport