David Kushner released his second studio album “The Dichotomy” on Aug. 30. It is a mix of alternative and indie with pop undertones.
While Kushner is popular for his trending song “Daylight,” it is not his only popular song among listeners. “The Dichotomy” received many positive reviews. Some say that Kushner’s songs all sound the same, but this album shows much more variation in terms of vocals and instrumentals compared to his previous album.
Kushner’s strengths are clear, with strong vocals in all his songs. Even if listeners do not like his music, there is no denying his incredible voice. Kushner is a strong bass, but he also flaunts his higher vocals as well. I noticed he jumped octaves in this album frequently, which helped catch and keep my interest.
One thing I love about this album is that Kushner’s voice shines through without the need to hide behind a loud beat or instruments. A simple guitar and piano do wonders for him, but not all artists can do that. In some songs, only a piano is used to accompany Kushner.
Kushner dropped multiple singles before the release of the album, including “Dead Man,” “Hero,” “Skin and Bones,” “Humankind,” “Sweet Oblivion” and “Daylight.” It may seem unusual that Kushner dropped so many songs before the release, but it helped create excitement among fans for the 17-song tracklist.
While the singles tend to be the most popular, there were lesser-known songs that stood out to me. The song “Buried at Sea” tells the story of loving someone so much that they are willing to travel to the depths with them. I enjoyed the build-up of instrumentals throughout this song and that Kushner uses accidentals in the most unexpected ways to add dimension.
“Darkerside,” a more upbeat track, grabbed my attention quickly with its strong beat and background vocals. This song is catchy and the continuous beat helps carry the song. Kushner does a wonderful job with the contrast between his low and high vocals in this track.
Another song that stuck out to me was “You and Me.” I like that the lyrics in this track were sad but had a generally positive outlook. It mentions how a failed relationship can help lead to the changes of having a new life. “You and Me,” starts slow, but I appreciated how it sped up over time, which helped relate to the theme of getting past difficult experiences in life.
Some of the more popular releases of the album include “Deadman,” “Poison” and “Hero.” These songs help add to the excitement and attention-grabbing elements of this album.
Some of the critiques of this album include his repetitiveness and predictability. However, I believe these help the audience sing along and find familiarity in his music. I also liked how many songs there were in this album, 17 tracks, while his last EP, “Footprints I Found,” only had 7 songs.
This album did a wonderful job of storytelling while providing unique and captivating vocals. As Kushner progresses and his popularity grows, so does his production value. Overall, this album is one of Kushner’s best. Listeners can only hope to see how his increasing popularity helps him take the world by storm.
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