“Atomic Bomb” by The Push

“Atomic Bomb” is a rocking single by Austin, TX based The Push, from their debut album – No Light In The Darkness, recorded in Austin and mastered in London at Abbey Road Studios. But the story of The Push started long ago and involves some far-away places before Javi and Nacho eventually gravitated back to one another, to cut a long story short. If the music matters, it will always bring artists together with some kind-of brutal force that operates through them. And you can tell because it’s usually written all over it, as it turns out to be the case with these two excellent musicians.

Javier, in-particular before hooking back up with Nacho, was a successful songwriter for well-known Latin American artists, with songs charting with radio airplay and Billboard accolades including such players as Premios Lo Nuesto and Las 40 Principales. He also toured the globe performing with everyone from Sting to Marc Anthony and Oasis to Collective Soul. So, before coming back together to be Austin based in their hometown, both got their chops from different experiences and together they combine them for a powerhouse of straight forward, mainstream rock in the classic but hard-edged style everyone knows and likes so well.

You can’t make this up, so it’s worth knowing where the magical chemistry comes from, as for a debut album it sure does sound like they’ve been playing together most of their lives. “Atomic Bomb” almost describes that combustion, but it’s not without purpose, it just comes as a surprise like any bomb is supposed to. But once you’ve read their back story it all makes more sense because the song has a life of its own to go with theirs. But the album also contains a full collection of great tunes as well, worth as much mention because they’re all fantastic.

“Atomic Bomb” is probably the most-catchy song on the album, but they’re all very accessible and written/arranged and produced at top level quality. I was mostly captivated by the promo video of the single, but honestly couldn’t stop listening to the album in its entirety. It’s very contagious once you dig in and hear the consistency, and that goes for each-and every track to help describe how it delivers a punch that earns their name. You can’t turn them off, and after much mileage “Atomic Bomb” alone keeps calling you back and that is the mark of any great song.

I’m glad I heard “Atomic Bomb” because it led me to the rest of an album that is now on my playlist because it’s fresh, rocking and invigorating. Even their slower cuts impress with some great lyrics that aren’t complicated by any boring characters. Instead, The Push keep it real and down to earth with music you can sink your ears into without analyzing to enjoy, like that of the standard everyone used to go by to guarantee listeners. If you get beyond “Atomic Bomb” you’ll find so much more recommended material where it came from.

Mindy McCall