“PUSH” by NOEL

Success and what it means to go looking for it

By: Carter Starkey

There is a very common feeling that I kind of hate. That feeling of trying to start something new, only to end up abandoning it, having it collect dust in the corner of your room, or buried somewhere deep on your hard drive. Deep inside, we all think that maybe someday we’ll dig that stuff back up, and put our minds into making something we are proud of. Noel Miller (or simply NOEL) did just that. His father bought a bunch of musical instruments in the 80s only for them to end up in storage, so NOEL took them and made this—his first solo project—“PUSH.” 

Fans may know NOEL from the semi-satirical rap group Tiny Meat Gang. This time, NOEL went solo on a quick five tracks over 10 minutes with one real goal: to prove that he is serious. NOEL has the fan base and has already found success, but “PUSH” is his attempt to show that he's not satisfied with the funny stuff.

The music is as captivating as the story. NOEL brings well-crafted bars over top of low-key instrumental beats that can shift gears in a second. As a show of pure talent, NOEL even directed the music video accompanying “Lennon’s Ghost” and “Crow,” featuring visions of NOEL floating off the ground or hanging from the top of a speeding car.

NOEL could be seen as a continuation of the trend of other creatives moving into music. NOEL even references Donald Glover, a.k.a. Childish Gambino on track 1, “Lennon’s Ghost,” who is the most prominent example of this trend. It isn’t lost on anyone, least of all NOEL, that the transition between passions is another opportunity to see what you’ve got, to prove that you’re up to whatever challenges are in front of you.