Diving Horse – I Don’t Need The Lord (2024)
Diving Horse is a band from Glasgow, Scotland that cultivates a combination of synth-pop calling back to ‘80s bands like the B-52s and indie melodies reminiscent of Sub Pop bands in their heyday.
Their new single, ‘I Don’t Need the Lord’ touts declarative lyrics with dancefloor aestheticism and a penchant for wigs. Their Instagram posts promote the single with band members dancing in costumes that look to have been salvaged directly from the 1970s. In a post answering the question of what the single is about, they say that “it’s mostly about being yourself.” And so the song pushes against the bonds of faith with such statements as “I don’t need the lord/ to tell me what to do/ I don’t need the lord/ to tell me I love you.”
Bands have been singing claims of disillusionment with religion for decades (with poets of old marching in the vanguard), so the lyrics hardly feel shocking or even explorative. No doubt the band is addressing important personal issues as Gavin Marshal sings: “I’m coming out/ There’s a hurricane inside me I can’t fight.” But the urgency of the song falls flat and feels less like a revelation and more like the exhaust of angst from ages past.
The band’s earlier singles demonstrate their forte for blending musical aesthetics that are decades apart but ‘I Don’t Need the Lord’ feels one-dimensional. 80s-era synthesiser tones dominate the track making it feel less like a new take on the sound and more like an original piece for a Eurhythmics tribute band. That’s a shame because the single’s B-side ‘White Flag’ utilises similar musical elements with take-a-stand style lyrics and is almost instantly more likeable and a good deal more compelling for the drama it exudes.
Hopefully ‘I Don’t Need the Lord’ doesn’t dominate their approach to music because earlier songs show Diving Horse is a band of some promise.
For more from Diving Horse, check out their official website, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Spotify.
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