Tethered Together
Flowering Tree, 2025
9/10
The Chicago rockers Push Puppets return with a 4th album, where the band’s frontman and songwriter, Erich Specht, recruits plenty of melodies and even strings and horns.
The bright climate and power-pop nods of “Similar” opens with Greg Essig’s thumping drums adding much to the tuneful delivery, and “Hearts And Souvenirs” follows with Steve Frisbie’s razor sharp guitars alongside the mature strings and some grit.
Landing in the middle, “Launching A Satellite” balances crunch with a dreaminess, while “This Whole Endeavor” benefits much from Kyle Magnusson’s animated keys and poetic singing via the heartfelt mood.
“Hearts Are Fragile” and “The Logical Conclusion” exit the listen. The former employs acoustic guitar and Erich’s expressive singing to a light atmosphere, and the latter allows for John William Lauler’s precise bass to help illuminate the calm ebbs versus dense bouts.
A highly diverse outing that can bring to mind The Who, Death Cab For Cutie, Matthew Sweet or even Elvis Costello, Push Puppets are versed in arena rock ready anthems just as they are lush harmonies, and this excellent outing will be enjoyed repeatedly by fans of rock from any era.
Travels well with: The Bolshoi Brothers- The Bolshoi Brothers; The Awakening- The Awakening