Wallows Model

On Wallows’ third LP, Model, the alternative trio from LA wanted to prove how far they’d come since their emergence in 2017 and early albums like 2019’s Nothing Happens. That record, plus its follow-up, Tell Me That It's Over, positioned the group as one of alt-rock’s most restless groups. In Model, they take that philosophy and extend it a step forward, joyfully moving from anthemic pop to post-punk to odes to heartbreak. Take the album’s first track, “Your Apartment”, which features a galloping drum groove that lands somewhere between the dance punk of LCD Soundsystem and the propulsive beat of Bloc Party. Piano chords highlight Dylan Minnette’s yearning vocals as he sings: “Who said I don't understand or that I probably won't remember/Time in the palm of your hand, we both let go together/But I promise, I get your sentiment/I wonder who's been at your apartment.” He’s equal parts defiant and heartbroken, creating a complex, emotive ass-kicker of an album opener. On its follow-up, “Anytime, Always”, they capture the crisp precision of The Strokes, and the specificity with which they arrange instrumentations signals a clear growth for the band.