mp3: "Paycheck" - Slingshot Dakota
Words: Jordan Gorsuch
That dirty, amazingly fuzzy keyboard intro that kicks off Slingshot Dakota’s new single “Paycheck” is a confident mission statement from the Pennsylvania two-piece: We’re going to let our music breathe and speak for itself.
Their signature keyboard goes through many colorful shifts in the uncharacteristically patient (yet energetic) track from the now-married duo. The drums are simple but powerful, like a ferocious bulldozer fueling the bulk of the song. The various effects of the chords during the chorus packing a commanding punch, and they shimmer when paired with Carly Comando’s vocals.
While the music speaks for itself, Comando’s lyrics and desperation to “stop pretending” and breakout of their rut of working to make ends meet is endlessly relatable. The song is a hard-edged, sympathetic rally cry about one of the country’s biggest issues.
“I’m sick of our excuses/ So it’s time we drop them,” Carly sings breathlessly after a pinch-harmonic sequence from a well-placed background guitar. From the sound of this well-produced single, she and this band are about to break free.