Pirouette
The buzzing New York band (lead vocalist Cole Haden, drummer Ruben Radlauer, guitarist Jack Wetmore, and bassist Aaron Shapiro) formed in 2016, but broke through with their 2023 full-length debut, *Dogsbody*—a blast of haunted, hedonistic noise-rock that embellished the cool chaos of early aughts dance-punk with musical-theater melodrama. On its follow-up, *Pirouette*, Model/Actriz lean all the way in on those rococo tendencies and embrace their inner prima donnas without losing their grit. “Living in America, while trapped in the body of an operatic diva,” Haden laments in a campy stage whisper on “Diva” between tales of one-night stands in far-flung European locales. The pendulum swings wildly between abandon and control, but there’s a gonzo sensuality that ties it all together. Hence, an eerie acoustic ballad about being jealous of hummingbirds (“Acid Rain”) followed by a throbbing dance-punk jam (“Departures”) that relishes in the beauty of three-syllable words—parasol, silhouette, matinee, vagabond.
The raucous Brooklyn quartet follows up its celebrated debut with an icy, crisp album that’s strikingly honest about self-consciousness in the face of desire.
With Pirouette, Model/Actriz opt for restraint, employing more conventional, albeit still-compelling, rhythms and tones
On Pirouette, Model/Actriz continue their tightrope walk over chaos and introspection, desire and vulnerability, with camp aplomb.
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Brooklyn’s boldest four-piece Model/Actriz showed on their debut 'Dogsbody' that they are adept at moulding their sound not with multi-genre fluency, but
Pirouette by Model/Actriz album review by Kyle Kohner for Northern Transmissions. The LP arrives on May 2nd via Dirty Hit/True Panther
Inspired by Mariah and Kylie but full of jackhammer rhythms and noise, the quartet’s second album could attract a big following