Written by Brandon George
Pusher’s new single, “I Can’t Believe It,” off his upcoming record “Stay-at-Home Popstar” is an enthralling listen from start to finish. A myriad of synthetic percussion blended with permutations on vocals from mouth sounds to snippets of notes, pitched and bent, signal much of the track’s background, while Pusher’s halting and bouncing voice regale the listener with an account of economic disparity that feels as fabulous and tongue-in-cheek as it is harrowing.
The song begins with an arpeggio of scattered beatboxing, panned from left to right, and then immediately is overcome by a pounding synth bass and jovial keys. What follows is a delightful romp that causes the listener to buy in without question.
It’s impossible to overstate the utter merriment radiating from this track. The percussion, vocals, and keys all come together to create a dance-pop song that feels so overwhelmingly rebellious that it’s impossible to listen without dancing. The song also features jazz and electronic pianist Danae Greenfield.
Greenfield spends much of the track providing a bouncing, pulsing call-and-response to Pusher’s layered, synthetic vocals, suddenly to spiral into a sliding, halting solo after the first run of the song’s captivating chorus. The feature is incredibly well-employed, and if I hadn’t known otherwise, I would have simply assumed Greenfield was a staple of the act.
Lyrically, the song is written as a send-up of the housing market. Pusher lambasts the increasingly dire conditions of today by pointing out the absurdity of how affordable it was for his parents to buy a house and land at his age for a mere fraction of what it would cost today.
The track is able to do all of this behind the veneer of danceability and fun. It’s an idea that plays into a very key sentiment of the contemporary struggle - we are left with no options in the face of capitalism but to dance and sing about it.
This irreverent and magnificent track can be found everywhere music is streaming, and you can follow Pusher on Twitter @ItsPusher. If you also cope with the rapidly collapsing economy through dance, let us know by tweeting us at @lgndsoftmrw.
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