David Kushner, Dead Man | Track Review 🎵

Midwest singer/songwriter David Kushner follows up his breakthrough hit, “Daylight,” with another captivating, dramatic gem, “Dead Man.”

“Do you remember September?” Ah, the Midwest is in the house, and he has a deep, baritone voice! More accurately, 🎙 David Kushner has a big, versatile voice, something that makes the Chicago singer/songwriter stand out.  After the 23-year old earned pop success with his single 🎵 “Daylight” in 2023, he follows up with another winner,  🎵 “Dead Man”.  The captivating “Dead Man” was written by Kushner and producer, 🎼 ✍  🎛 Steve Rusch.

“Dead Man” features no shortage of fine lyrical moments, such as in the second verse where Kushner sings, “You threw me back into the fire / I screamed while your smile was gettin’ wider…” WOO! Backtracking a bit, let’s start at the beginning! The record commences with rhythm guitar 🎸 accompaniment in the intro.  As far as key, this dark, cinematic cut is set in a minor key – d minor to be precise.  Some of the music cues that standout are the atmospheric synths, and a thudding beat.  There is a mysterious air about this record early on, which is sweet.  Of course, the sweetest thing about all of “Dead Man” is that voice. Again, Kushner possesses a rich, distinct instrument. The depth of his pipes is incredibly impressive. I ❤️ the power he exhibits in the chorus, as well as his ability to ascends higher than expected.

Besides the incredible voice, shown in all its glory in the chorus, the chorus benefits from a memorable melody 💪. Fittingly, it marks the most dynamic section of “Dead Man”:

“I’m the dead man in this war

But, baby, I’ve been here before

There’s beauty hidden in the gore

Yeah, I’m the dead man in this war, ooh.”

Beyond the centerpiece (the chorus, couldn’t you tell), additionally, Kushner possesses a better than expected falsetto, which he flaunts in the post-chorus.  There is a fabulous bridge section, which leads into one final, gargantuan chorus: “Wade on, wade on / Give me back my old salvation.” Give me back my old salvation, huh? That’s not possible, but we catch his drift, and those lyrics are definitely poetic.  So much more could be said about 🎵 “Dead Man”, which is utterly sublime.  The big reason for its success? The dramatic nature of Kushner’s performance makes it a surefire win!

🎙 David Kushner • 🎵 “Dead Man” • 🏷 David Kushner / Miserable Music Group LLC • 🗓 9.22.23

[📷: Brent Faulkner/The Musical Hype; David Kushner / Miserable Music Group LLC; OpenClipart-Vectors, PIRO via Pixabay]