Push Puppets, Chicago’s sharp-edged indie pop-rock ensemble, return with their fourth release, the bright and buoyant Tethered Together, out May 16 on Flowering Tree Music. Helmed by singer-songwriter and guitarist Erich Specht, the band spins effortlessly catchy tunes dripping with glossy production, yet beneath the gleaming surface lie bittersweet undercurrents that catch you off guard.
Specht, whose voice confidently guides each melody, is backed by Steve Frisbie’s harmonies and guitar interplay, Kyle Magnusson’s vibrant keys, John William Lauler’s foundational bass grooves, and Greg Essig’s agile percussion. Together, they conjure a richly detailed set of songs: lush harmonies soar, angular guitar lines dart and dive, keyboards shimmer with cinematic drama, and strings swell to create vivid emotional backdrops.
Push Puppets deliver fresh visuals with their latest single, Hearts Aren’t Souvenirs, a slippery tune that defies pigeonholing; its bones built on Americana foundations yet moving with the swing of a Memphis-inflected bassline. At the track’s core lies an irresistible chorus, burrowing deep into your consciousness before erupting into a bridge loaded with rock-driven immediacy. Specht digs beneath surface sentimentality, dissecting the messy anatomy of relationships overstayed. It’s a deft exploration executed with absolute confidence, veering effortlessly between stylistic signposts while keeping a firm grip on emotional resonance.
The video for Hearts Aren’t Souvenirs is a macabre yet playful spectacle, animated and edited with vivid finesse by Metamorse Studio and produced by Scott Thiele and Sebastian Gonzales. It stages a peculiar gallery of hearts gathered from faded romances, each captured, cataloged, and stored—a wry visual metaphor that underscores the song’s thematic bite. Push Puppets enhance this musical curiosity with the elegance of a live string quartet: Stephanie “Sly” Young, Janis Sakai and Kelly Jozwiak on violin, Katherine Andrick’s viola, Molly Rife’s cello weave seamlessly into the fabric of the song, bringing emotional heft and textural sophistication.
Push Puppets’ fourth outing, Tethered Together, greets the listener like a house of mirrors: every cut reflecting some fresh pang of attachment, departure, or sudden self-revelation. Erich Specht’s lyrics slip neatly into their melodies, concise yet bracing, as though they have always belonged there. His verses expose bruises and bright spots alike, turning vulnerability into fuel while side-stepping self-pity.
Specht tips his hat to the excesses of the ’70s: phased vocal walls, sudden guitar-and-string unisons, yet the album never feels like pastiche. “We’re slaves to the song,” he quips, treating genre borders as thin chalk lines meant for scuffing. That spirit keeps Tethered Together lively, surprising, and, despite its title, anything but bound.
The record bears the unmistakable signature of producer Doug McBride, whose artistry has graced the likes of Smashing Pumpkins and Veruca Salt. He has skillfully mixed and mastered this collection at the renowned Gravity Studios. Their arrangements resonate with an electrifying energy that remains inviting, weaving together the restless brilliance of XTC with the sweeping grandeur of Elbow. The acerbic charm of Elvis Costello intertwines with the effervescent buzzing of Cheap Trick, creating a vibrant backdrop. Layered over this tapestry are anthemic melodies that beckon to be sung, echoing the captivating emotional resonance of Crowded House.
Album opener Similar cannonballs in with arena-sized chords, asking why every stranger’s face seems faintly familiar. Hearts Aren’t Souvenirs follows.
Probably unfurls into a string-laden farewell that lands somewhere between fond eulogy and late-night confession, while All Together on 3 lifts from a slow burn into a final roar of communal release.
Launching a Satellite spirals skyward, strings and electric guitar trading lines like duelling astronomers. This Whole Endeavor pivots on a nagging piano hook, recounting a romance whose tides wouldn’t stay put.
Relief arrives with Tell Colleen To Calm Down, a retro stomper straight from a forgotten college-radio reel, before the Spanish-tinted Shake It Like You Mean It loosens every last hinge. Heart-sore twang guides Hearts Are Fragile, and closer The Logical Conclusion bears down with piano and strings locked in brisk, final resolve.
The album lands on May 16th via Flowering Tree Music with direct orders available here.
Push Puppets will celebrate the release of Tethered Together at Robert’s Westside in Forest Park, IL, on May 30th.
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