Every time we’re about to fire up the bat signal for Dornik, it seems the British singer-songwriter manages to pop up with something new. After dropping his single “Patient” in 2023, he’s been content to play around with sounds and textures with a stream of numbered releases that eventually dried up last summer. He’s back on the block now, though, with his latest single “Push N Pull.”
“Push N Pull” is here to remind listeners that Dornik indeed has soul. The cut mines a bit of the 1970s soul sound, updating it with elements of neo-soul and modern-day production to create a warm, melodic and inviting song. The smoothed-out sound allows him to go different places as he veers toward jazz at times and an almost call-and-response sound near the song’s end.
Lyrically, the song finds the singer enduring the trials and tribulations of life while pondering the big questions. “After dusk looking through the window / I stare, got hours to go / Looking at this life and why I’m feeling dazed and so confused,” he sings on the opening verse. “Am I gonna get to do the thing I really want to do?” Elsewhere, he wonders if the risks he’s taking for a better life are even worth it as he feels the weight of living on his shoulders. “I can feel the push and pull / Everywhere I go / To or fro,” he sings on the chorus.
While the lyrics point to a more somber tone, the song itself has a lightness thanks to an amazing arrangement and Dornik’s own vocal choices. It’s a welcome return that goes beyond just surface to give us something to think about and groove to.
If “Push N Pull” signifies that the singer has more in store for us, we wouldn’t be mad. But if the song is just a one-off, it’s still lovely to hear that Dornik still has that spark that has kept our attention since he first stepped on the scene. Listen to his latest when you press play below and purchase the digital track exclusively on Bandcamp.
