The American indie trio Wallows are back with their third album Model. The group composed of Dylan Minnette, Braeden Lemasters, and Cole Preston took a lot of risks on their sophomore album, Tell Me That It’s Over, by flirting with genres outside of the indie rock scene. However, Model takes on a much more subdued approach with the band staying very much in their comfort zone.
The album starts with the disarming lead single, ‘Your Apartment’. This is the perfect track to open the album with owing to its attention-grabbing drum beat and honest lyrics: “Empathetic to you and your healing / Ask a friend if you still don’t believe me / I’ve got stitches that I’m sewing up too / So it isn’t fair to say, ‘I love you’”.
The high energy is maintained with ‘Anytime, Always’. The pitchy guitar riff that matches Minnette’s vocal melodies engulfs its listener in the track. The song’s bassline, which is introduced in the track’s chorus, is reminiscent of many of the riffs heard on the group’s debut album, Nothing Happens. The instrumentals are stripped back for the bridge of the track with Minnette and Lemasters’ vocals being the centre of attention, as they chant the lyrics “You can call me anytime, always”.
Wallows gives us another preppy guitar riff on the track ‘Calling After Me’. This track wouldn’t have sounded out of place on one of their earliest EPs, Spring, with its instrumentals to those on their song ‘These Days’. The boys seem to have gone back to their roots with Model making it a sure hit with longtime fans of the band.
‘Bad Dream’ introduces listeners to what most of the rest of Model will sound like. Lemasters takes the front seat in terms of vocals for this song with his delicate voice matching the dreamlike instrumentals. The light synth keyboard and slow drum beat highlight the group’s softer side to music.
The next cluster of tracks quite easily wash over the audience. While Model starts off with some heavy-hitter songs preparing fans for an exciting musical journey, the middle of the album takes on a more subtle approach. ‘A Warning’ and ‘I Wouldn’t Mind’ are much slower songs with cleaner instrumentals than what fans of the band’s sophomore album will be used to.
The most exciting songs on Model come from the latter part of the LP. One of the standout tracks has to be ‘She’s an Actress’. The almost tropical guitar riffs and drum beats make the song perfect for a calming summer’s day. The lack of a set chorus allows ‘She’s an Actress’ to be a satisfyingly chilled-out listen.
Lemasters once again takes over on vocals for ‘Going Under’. While Lemasters’ voice is usually used for Wallows’ more sombre songs, ‘Going Under’ allows the singer to scream throughout the track with anguish. This desperation is further emphasised by the track’s lyrics: “Oh, I’m scared of goin’ under / If it’s almost over / With you / Now my head has hit the pavement / I’ve been oscillating / Spinning ‘round”.
Model leads out with a 2000s pop-rock-esque track. The synth instrumentals of ‘Only Ecstasy’ give it a retro feel that will make anyone feel nostalgic. The song is the perfect album closer with its big guitar solos and lyrics that can be chanted by a crowd at their upcoming live shows: “You are my only ecstasy / You are the only one for me”.
In comparison to their experimental and oftentimes brilliantly chaotic previous releases, Model feels like a call back to their earliest influences. Wallows know their lyricism works well with this laid-back indie sound but you can’t help but wish the boys had thrown in a couple more wildcard tracks similar to those on their EP, Remote. Despite this, Model will most likely become the soundtrack to many fans’ summers thanks to its focus on calmer instrumentals and relaxing beats.
Words by Amy Britton
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