The Push Stars

After the Party (Capitol)
by Katy Shea

The Boston scene’s a buzzin’ with all kinds of talk about this band. Comparisons ranging from Buffalo Tom to The Lemonheads to John Wesley Harding are being bandied about as we speak amongst the hipster cognoscente – but the question looms “Are these guys any good?” There’s so much pop out there – believe me, I get to listen to a considerable chunk of it while tied to my typewriter with the ripped up remains of old Plimsouls concert T-shirts, and not ALL of it makes me want to eat broken glass, but yes, I’ve sold my soul to pop music and usually end up feeling like it may’ve turned out to be a sordid boon. But not this time.

The Push Stars major label release, After The Party, distinguishes itself from the slew of mediocrity by not trying too hard to be anything other than honest, compassionate, and inclusive. I’ve listened to this album many times, and whether at the tattered end of my night or on a shiny morning of a day off, there’s always something here that speaks to me. Chris Trapper is obviously a gifted songwriter. He writes without a self-consciousness that rings false, or banal honestly that eludes interest. In his songs, there is poignant expression of pain and regret, and also winsome resolutions about life that are intelligent and personal while remaining accessible and universal. The sound is rooted in acoustic guitar, accented by everything from mandolin to lap steel, resulting in a surprisingly fleshed-out feel that serves as a fitting platform for the band’s laid back groove and versatile melodic and harmonic twists. In “Everything Shines,” Trapper sings “All we losers stand in line, waiting for our time.” I sincerely hope that this is, indeed, their time, as they have come up with a record that is as meaningful as it is sublime (not to mention catchy as all hell) and as well-written and sincere as they come.