Reviewed by Ian Phillips.
By Wallows, Atlantic records 2019.
Nothing Happens is American band Wallows debut album release and it is set to build nicely on their very successful EP, Spring, which was released last year and to date has amassed over 40 million streams.
Over the past year the band has gone from unknowns to headlining major tours throughout America, playing major festivals from Lollapalooza to Austin City Limits and making their TV debut on The Late Show with James Corden.
So you could say that their star is on the rise.
The album was recorded at LA’s Sargent Studios with Grammy Award winning producer John Congleton who has worked with St. Vincent among many other artists.
Three lead singles have already been released and they’re gaining plenty of attention, Are You Bored Yet? (featuring Clairo), Scrawny and Sidelines.
The band has been around for some time, 10 years, so their success could hardly be called overnight.
The publicity that comes with the album describes Wallows as playing an experimental form of indie-rock although to my ears they are heavy on the pop elements and rather light on the experimentation.
They do write a good song. I think the opening track, Only Friend, is a beauty and Are You Bored Yet? has all the necessary ingredients for commercial radio success.
The songs on the album have been written from the band’s shared experiences of growing up together, their loss of innocence, and the thoughts and fears that come with the transition to adulthood.
The lyrics go some way towards capturing the chaotic swirl of emotions that accompany our teenage years.
Musically there are some nice touches.
I like the sparse opening to What You Like with its prominent bass line and build up to distorted, crashing, guitar solo.
There is nice variety on the album and a good use of space to make the songs grow organically.
Doing this job I often go through periods of musical doldrum however there has been a spate of very good debut albums recently and this is one of them.
