Wallows has returned with their third full length, and first album in two years, Model. I am a big fan of the indie rock outfit, holding my breath with each release to see what they’ve got up their sleeves. I fell for them with the 2019 release Nothing Happens, which I’ve spoken about at length in the past. With Model, the band attempts a returns to those roots, and we all said “Finally!”

It’s not like I disliked Tell Me That It’s Over (2022). It’s just I wanted more of the shoegaze-y rock vibe rather than the stoner rock vibe. And yes, they’re different. I love a surf rock callback just as much as anyone, but at the end of the day (ha, Wallows pun), I want the grittier sound we began with. The single they released after the album, “WISH ME LUCK”, was #52 in my Top 100 of 2023, and that is peak Wallows for me. It was dark, hazy, and I was honestly hoping that Model was going to follow suit.

They released a multitude of singles for the release, and I think that might have been a disservice because those tracks were among the best the album has to offer. It’s kind of one note, and in the course of writing this I have made it through countless times, barely noticing as one track shifts into another. There’s a case to be made for consistency and continuity, but sometimes it borders on boring. Despite this album being one of their heavier hitters lyrically, I can’t say that there’s much to comment on sonically. It’s Nothing Happens-esque to be sure, but does miss the punch that the former packed.

Will I bump this all through the summer? Yeah, of course I will. Personally, I think it’s a great album, dance-y and vibey as we’ve come to know from them, but technically, a bit lackluster. The riffs are there and the drums are punchy, but all in all it seems to be a bit one-note. It’s almost too chill, if that’s a thing. I think they’ve found the sound that works best for them in the past, and they’re trying to get back to it without sacrificing some of the choices they made in 2022, and I don’t know that the two can coexist, but this does feel like the best balance that it could be.

If there’s one thing about this band, it’s that they know how to close out an album. “Only Ecstasy” is a heartfelt track about the future – “I see the eyes of unborn daughters / I see you on your deathbed, too / Not long before or after me / Because I don’t want to outlive you / You are my only ecstasy”. Some of the tracks on this album border on whiny, but with this closer, we see Wallows at their most mature.

If there’s one change here from Nothing Happens, it’s definitely the progression of the album. We start with wondering who your ex is hanging out with, to thinking about your life partner dying. It’s a journey to be sure, but one I think it fitting for where the guys are now. Wallows has always been the perfect band for a quarter-life crisis, but the vibes will help you coast through.

3.5/5

by Nadia Alves

Nadia Alves has been a music enthusiast since she can remember. Going to shows is her main pastime. The other is being upset when she can’t go to shows. This is her first official venture into writing about music. You can follow her on Twitter.