Before listening to the group’s second studio album “Tell Me That It’s Over,” I would not have considered myself a fan of the group. I had maybe only heard two or three of their songs, however, after listening to this album I have definitely become more interested in the group and will be adding many of these songs to my playlists.
American rock band Wallows released their first studio album “Nothing Happens” in 2019. The album featured Gold certified single “Are You Bored Yet” (feat. Clairo) and made a name for the group that had signed with Atlantic Records in 2018. The music group includes Dylan Minnette, who is also known for starring in the Netflix series “13 Reasons Why,” Braeden Lemasters and Cole Preston.
The first song of the album “Hard to Believe,” starts off with just “string stabs” and vocals, according to Dylan Minnette with Apple Music. The song then introduces a use of drums and guitar to lead into the second verse. The song’s lyrics highlight what seems like the end of a relationship, whether platonic or romantic, and the time after said relationship. At the beginning of the song, the author seems to be longing for a change in their life, like they are outgrowing the person to which the song is directed. Lyrics like, “There’s something I’ve been meaning to say to you like ‘I just want to breathe’” and “We’ve been at this for a long time” show that this change is something that has been weighing on the artist for a significant amount of time. The song highlights the challenge of leaving someone in the past because it’s what is best for you, while also learning who you are as individuals without the other person.
The album’s next song “I Don’t Want to Talk” is a song that many young adults can relate to as the song expresses what it’s like to be insecure when in a relationship with someone. With a fast paced tempo and more prominent use of drums in this song, the band pulls their audience deeper into the album for a song that shows some vulnerability. The artist shares how he feels like his partner will lose interest in him and become interested in someone else if they are not with each other, and the whole song is him running through scenarios in his head about his partner falling for someone else.
The album continues with a variety of different sounds for different songs. The fourth song on the album “At the End of the Day,” portrays more of a techno sounding beat, while the album’s third song, “Especially You” features some banjo instrumentals. Which strays away from their normal sounds of the basic keyboard, guitar, and drums that is normally expected from the group.
In my opinion the album’s final song, “Guitar Romantic Search Adventure,” is a perfect way to end this album. The group slows it down for this song as it tells a new chapter of their story. The song describes a new period in someone’s life who is no longer getting over or learning how to live without someone, and instead learning all about someone new. The ending of this album points towards a potential new era of their music where they are writing and telling the story of this new love.
The Goods
- This album does not have any features which I think shows the strength of this band to produce an entire album with not a single feature.
- The album includes many different sounding songs that keeps the listener interested.
- The album has a short running time of 34 minutes and is easy to digest in one sitting.
The Bads
- The album could use a few more songs to make it feel more complete.
- The songs do not flow well from one to the next within the album.
