I’ve been insufferable about my love for Wallows for nearly a decade. In middle school, I was the girl telling every “13 Reasons Why” watcher that Clay Jensen (Dylan Minnette) is actually the lead singer of an indie rock band. In 2019, I started a tradition where I looped the “Nothing Happens” album each first day of school to remind myself that every stupid thing I say or embarrassing crush I have will be forgotten by the next full listen. I ran a tight ship of a fan account, sprinted out of my beginner Spanish class to meet the band at Madison Square Garden, and have seen possibly every edit of Minnette to Lana Del Rey’s “Brooklyn Baby.”
But despite this tenure as a superfan, I’ve never once been able to guess what Wallows will put out next.
In May 2024, Wallows released its third album “Model,” which members Minnette, Cole Preston and Braeden Lemasters said was the “most Wallows [they’ve] ever sounded” in Wonderland Magazine. In that interview, the trio teased that some of the best songs from the “Model” recording sessions didn’t quite fit in the album, but would eventually be released. Enter “More.”
The seven-track EP certainly feels like Wallows, with its reflections on existentialism, commitment and emotional volatility that build off of the band’s older projects. But in only 22 minutes, “More” is the perfect reintroduction to Wallows as it is now — both thematically and sonically.
“More” eases listeners in with “Not Alone,” a track that reflects Wallows’ move into varying instrumentation while still feeling authentic to the band. It opens with layered synth chords and a syncopated heartbeat rhythm, reminiscent of the band’s quarantine-era “Remote” EP but with less busy production. Lemasters takes lead vocals, reflecting on the remnants of an old relationship that fester with extended metaphors about counting and shearing sheep. Even if you hate animal metaphors, I urge you to keep listening, because “Not Alone” builds up to one of my favorite Wallows bridges of all time. Acoustic guitar and steady drum beat are introduced on top of the synth line as Minnette takes over, processing the breakup but simultaneously leaving the door open for memories to linger: “And, by the way, I know you’re where you’re meant to be / I’ll wake alone, your ghost is gone again.”
There’s a pretty abrupt tonal shift between “Not Alone” and “Deep Dive,” an on-the-nose title for a song about being ready to commit romantically. Despite this shift, the track acts as a strong segue from “Model” to “More” thematically, considering that Minnette sang about the moment of seeing your entire future with someone else on their previous album’s “Only Ecstasy.” “Deep Dive” adds a blend to the EP between dreamy guitar strumming and heavy synth as Minnette sings about thoughts of a love interest “flooding in.” The song’s chorus has Minnette and Lemasters singing back to one another while stating their intentions for this love. Wallows thrives in these songs where the two singers can play off of one another, like the similarly-performed “Hurts Me” from its 2022 album “Tell Me That It’s Over.” The similarity doesn’t feel like a coincidence — “Deep Dive” inverts the insecurity-shrouded Wallows on “Tell Me That It’s Over,” showing a matured desire for genuine companionship instead of obsessing over the love you can’t have: “I hope that you know (I will never run your heart around).” While Wallows often sings about relationships, the inclusion of songs like “Deep Dive,” its reprise, and the whimsical, bright “Learn To Love Again” presents a capacity for deep, meaningful love that only time and experience can bring.
“More” similarly builds on Wallows’ often-visited themes of existentialism and change while offering a refreshed outlook that meets the band where it’s currently at. “Hide It Away” doesn’t beat around the bush when it comes to exposing the band’s anxiety surrounding its relevance, asking “Are my songs already sung?” Ironically, that line gets hidden away in the song’s more generalized expression of fears about the future, and even more so behind its aggressive cymbal hits and electric guitar riffs that contribute to the tense, distressed feel. Lemasters sings solo on “Coffin Change” about life’s big existential questions: “Is there more, more to death than dying? / More, more than life to live?” The frenetic keys throughout the song’s verses feel like an older cousin of those in “Treacherous Doctor” off of “Nothing Happens,” which laments about exiting youth and becoming a twenty-something feeling like time’s already passed you by. As the band members approach their late twenties, Wallows doesn’t try to lie to its listeners and claim these earlier insecurities and fears about the future were outgrown.
Listening to Wallows always feels like catching up with a friend after some time apart. Its songs feel like a time capsule, delivering honest and raw reflections about the transition out of youth and into adulthood — and the slew of issues that comes with it. “More” is a tiny but mighty addition to Wallows’ discography, unafraid to harken back to its past while letting the band breathe and figure itself out in the present. While it doesn’t reinvent the indie rock wheel, “More” is definitely worth the listen. And take it from me — you don’t need to cut class or fight for your life on fan pages to enjoy it.
Contact Dani Biondi at [email protected].
