Streaming now on Spotify is Good Sport’s “Big Push,” the final single released ahead of the July 3rd release of Boring Magic, the Pittsburgh-based band’s Misra Records debut. The track spins a meta-narrative of existential insecurities and personal asides into an instantly danceable tune that would be at home in a sweaty hipster bar, which, I’ll remind you, is nowhere you want to be right now. Until you can order beer that’s curiously expensive for how many you’ve drunk at home, you’ll have to enjoy in quarantine, dancing alone or perhaps with a roommate you trust. #topical
Taking cues from Remain in Light-era Talking Heads and electro-pop legends LCD Soundsystem, Good Sport’s sole songwriter Ryan Hizer takes a mid-tempo ride with four on the floor and an electronic rhythm section, creating a lush, synthesized soundscape of sweeping filters and vocoded lyrics. But the man is a pop guy at heart, prioritizing processed vocal hooks and catchy melodies into a concise three-and-a-half-minute package. “idk who needs to hear this but the vocal is the most important part of your song,” @goodsport_band tweeted a month ago, asserting an often neglected maxim of pop music.
In the chorus (the chorus?), a transformed and formant-manipulated voice hums, “You can get away with a little bit of life/and a little wrong if you do a little right.” This is Good Sport’s robotic watcher whispering affirmations to the beleaguered frontman, a positive message that encourages listeners not to be so hard on themselves. That’s worth a listen in a time that forces all of us to be alone with ourselves perhaps more than we thought possible, analyzing every. thing.
Stream the single below and look out for our review of the full record ahead of the release.
