Push Puppets - This Whole Endeavor
Melodic indie pop-rock outfit Push Puppets presents 'This Whole Endeavor', the second single from their new long-play album 'Tethered Together', as well as a wonderful new video for the cinematic 'All Together On 3', produced by Scott Thiele and Sebastian Gonzales, and edited by Daniele Arcuri. Both sonic gems preview their fourth record, out on May 16 via Flowering Tree Music.
Based in Chicago, Push Puppets is the creative outlet for singer-songwriter and guitarist Erich Specht. The five-piece creates songs with earworm melodies and shiny production that belie often bittersweet sentiments. Specht (lead vocals, guitar) is joined by a core of Steve Frisbie (backup vocals, guitar), Kyle Magnusson (keyboards), John William Lauler (bass) and Greg Essig (drums).
Most songs on this album also involve a string quartet, with a horn section on one. We see the quartet's impeccable performance in the video for 'All Together On 3', with Stephanie “Sly” Young on violin, Katherine Andrick on viola, Molly Rife on cello and Kelly Jozwiak on violin (note: Janis Sakai performs in the audio recording).
Its timeless quality and melancholic reflection take us on a sonic trip that is as stimulating as it is emotionally resonant. A moody and musically progressive song about how we’re stronger when we work together, it builds to a cathartic reprise of live strings and harpsichord with a desperate vocal crying for a helping hand as violins punctuate the lines with elegance.
The latest single This Whole Endeavor', a rocker about a relationship that has ended, draws you in with an instantly memorable piano hook. Describing the ebb and flow of a relationship with flowing lyrics, this is sincere yet engaging, the song's reflective bridge and breakdown followed by a driving finale. With the first verse noting love at first sight at a bar - somewhat foreteling the outcome - the story takes a turn and ends in disarray, the author ultimately wishing it was she with him in bed rather than his dog.
"I get a kick out of referring to love at first sight as ‘a trainwreck just about to happen’. My Pete Townshend fandom might be apparent in this one between the 70s synth phrases and guitar smacks,” says Erich Specht. “As much as I hate to admit it, after reflecting on the lyrics, it seems clear that this song is somewhat about the relationship with my ex-wife".
The 'Tethered Together' album is graced with impeccable songwriting that shines with lush harmonies, angular guitars, dramatic keyboards and strings backed by a rhythm section to ensure a continually high groove factor. Erich Specht muses on relationships and loss, as well as the weight and joy of life, in a manner that is poetic and seems effortless, his lyrics fitting to the melody like pieces of a puzzle. Wearing his vulnerabilities like a badge of honor, this music takes us on a journey to unexpected places.
"This album offers a nod to the artistic excesses of the 70s, whether it's a wall of phased vocals or a moment where guitars and strings rip a quick line together between phrases. The tracks are widely varied yet cohesive - and within a given song, you're likely to be taken elsewhere" says Erich Specht.
'All Together on 3' and 'The Whole Endeavor' are available from fine digital platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp. The 'Tethered Together' album, now available for pre-order, will be released digitally and on CD on May 16. Push Puppets will hold their album release show at Robert's Westside in Forest Park, IL on May 30.
