Track Review: 90’s Darling // Dust Cwaine

Performing under the pseudonym Dust Cwaine, singer-songwriter and drag queen David Cutting embraces bright creativity and significant profoundness in their music. Touching on the political nature of queer identity, many of Dust Cwaine’s songs evoke a sense of togetherness within present society. Featured on Obscure Sound, Clout, Tinnitist, The Other Side Reviews and various playlists, Dust Cwaine is reaching audiences on an international scale. The latest addition to their well-received discography is ‘90’s Darling’.

Hot on the heels of their single ‘Hero’, ‘90’s Darling’ is an intriguing track filled with nostalgic sentiments in contemporary joviality. Recorded with producer Josh Eastman, there is a conscious effort to present ‘90’s Darling’ as a sonic time capsule from the 1990s. Dust explains that the song “…blends 90s sensationalism and pop culture to drive nostalgia…crafted to feel like it belongs in the liminal space between a memory and our immediate reality, ‘90’s Darling’ feels like a song you could have heard in Zeller’s Diner on a trip with your grandma to pick up a VHS of Disney’s animated movie musical Hercules in 1997.”

Nodding to the sound of the 90s, the song has a pop-rock feel reminiscent of Wheatus and Weezer whereby Dust Cwaine connects with audiences on an intimate level. Taking us back to their childhood both lyrically and melodically, it really is like opening a time capsule straight from 1998. Interestingly enough, while there is joviality to the single with a laidback bounce, there is also a thread of vulnerable longing in the mix. They explore the things that made us so happy but, in this way, also make us feel despair at what is lost. Life has become very serious and desperate nowadays – ‘90’s Darling’ is a glimpse at sillier times and how they made this more tolerable.