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.

The trio are heading into their biggest ever venues – it's a shame the new material doesn't quite meet that ambition.

Before long, ‘Model’ begins to feel like a series of safe options.

There is also new music from Charli XCX and rock band Wallows.

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Back with their fourth album, ‘Model,’ Wallows are opening up a darker side of themselves as they channel a 2024 retelling of what the early ‘00s sounded