Steven J Push – “The Road”
Steven J Push – “The Road” – Single Review
If you take a moment to read about Steven J Push’s journey to music online, you’ll find the quintessential tale that has driven many a musician forward to their destiny. Quitting the ol’ j-o-b, loading up the car, and then heading on out to music city…which, in this day & age for some time now, has been Nashville for most of the singer/songwriters out there, all in pursuit of turning the dream into reality. Y’all know how I feel about Nashville already…but I’m gonna more or less skip by all that today.
Most of it anyhow…you also know I can’t keep my mouth shut. I can’t entirely gloss over the Nashville aspect, because I think it’s essential to understanding WHY Steven has an excellent chance of making it out there…it’s the fact that MusicFactoryUSA hasn’t yet fully sunk their hooks into him that this new single sounds so inspired and identifiable. Right now, from what it sounds like on “The Road,” Steven’s supplying Nashville with the hooks & not the other way around – this single sounds authentic. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still got gigantic hooks, but ones that seem down to earth, organic, and rooted deep within the soulful sound of Steven’s voice – you can tell that he’s owning the style he’s rocking. And by authentic, what I’m saying is essentially that, you can hear the music flows right through this guy in ways that it doesn’t for many out there…that’s the ‘it’ factor, that’s the authenticity I’m talking about. Musically, writing-wise, composition & all-that, “The Road” is bound to remind you of many rockers out there, has a slightly dated style, but in that way that we’ve all come to associate with the ‘classic’ sound.
What makes this relevant for today & right now, is the fresh energy in Steven’s confident performance, because when you commit this hard to your material, it can bring in fans from all over the place no matter what they normally listen to. It’s like how they say if a comedian is having fun, then the audience is having fun too – same principle, different venue for it – if you’re rocking out, we’re rocking out with ya – Steven brings so much enthusiasm & style to his vibrant vocals that you just wanna start cheering & singing along with him. People connect with that, make no mistake, confidence & commitment are extremely alluring aspects when it comes to how we hear music. When you add in the giant hooks & that signature sound of the slight rasp in Push’s vocals, the smart riffs & steady as it gets musicianship, the professional execution on every second along the way…you gotta dig how this all really comes together. It might be flashy, it might be that BIG stadium style sound – but it’s all remarkably sincere.
Sincerity. In Nashville of all places! And here I thought they were starting to think that was a dirty word.
Here’s the facts though – you know “The Road” is real, because it’s absolutely based on the story he’s actually LIVED. And while I pointed out at the beginning that many of us understand the scenario of leaving it all behind to pursue our dreams – I should also point out that it’s still an incredibly rare percentage of us that end up actually DOING it. Steven J Push HAS done this and CONTINUES to do it – and now he’s here, with a killer lead single/title-track from his record that wildly reflects on “The Road” he’s been on and what’s created the passion inside the man he is today.
He says it better than I ever could at the end of the main chorus hooks – “The prize is right in front of me.” There is much insight & wisdom in that statement, believe me. When you’ve got the skill, heart, and genuine desire that an artist like Steven has, the world is pretty much yours to win…because you’ve got all the right ingredients to make it work; it just becomes a matter of believing that said prize is really within reach and has been all along. That’s where the difference in making that all-important life choice in packing it all up & moving on plays a massive role…you wouldn’t do it unless you really believed. Everything I’ve heard here on “The Road” tells me that Steven has indeed, chosen the correct path for himself…the man oozes cool on the microphone and the musicianship surrounding him is all aces. He’s right on the fringe in terms of what the mainstream is listening to at the moment, but he’s celebrating a timeless style that we also know & love, and there’s priceless value in how a vibe like this can spread from person-to-person & playlist-to-playlist. “The Road” has led him to Nashville – and perhaps this has always been my main point when it comes to that infamous music mecca…it’s the strength of that connection Steven has between the words & vocals that makes this song really work, because it’s all based on what’s real. The sound that you hear is exactly what brought him here & made him special…it’s what inspired him to pack that car up & drive out there in the first place – and it’s those same instincts that are ultimately what he’ll have to battle to hang onto over there in Musiclandia. My gut tells me that Steven has exactly what it takes for the other aces around him in any studio to see what he’s got going and take their hands off the wheel for a bit, because it’s clear that this guy can drive. “The Road” is a solid rock song and a great indication that this guy has strong enough character, talent, & charisma to beat the Nashville odds and still stand-out amongst a sea of the same. Nashville can have him for now…but I’d be willing to bet they can’t keep him – Steven’s got true grit – you can read about it, you can HEAR it on his new single. I’ve got mad respect for his admirable level of commitment & it’s my sincere hope that “The Road” leads him to all the places he’s looking to go with his music.
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