On the 15th of February, the single “Quarterback” was released by Wallows, a band which has taken over the indie boy band scene since its debut in 2017. The current lineup consists of Cole Preston, Braeden Lemasters, and the well-known actor Dylan Minnette. The trio has been performing together musically since childhood, and the cohesivity of their music highlights the connection they share as artists and companions. It was the release of this catchy new single that reminded me of my love for Wallows and their full-length album “Nothing Happens”.
One of my favorite tracks of the album is “Are You Bored Yet?”, which features the beloved bedroom pop artist Clairo. Dylan Minnette and Clairo duet for this song, Clairo’s nonchalant vocals adding a dreamy layer that sets this song apart from the rest on the album. Senior Kobe Hooker agrees that this track is the “main song from (the) album without question,” adding that Wallows is “very much a band you can throw on at a party and (nobody’s) gonna complain.” The collaboration between Wallows and Clairo has been received well by listeners, the song’s meaning being an honest evaluation of a relationship that is getting old.
Wallows is a band of wide appeal due to their style. Not overlying on any one genre, they have captivated the attention of much of the indie world. Along with their musicality, the lyrics of Wallows’s songs have contributed to their success. The chorus for “What You Like” is sung over a backdrop of dramatic and assertive guitar: “go ahead tell me now what you like//maybe this time I’ll listen.” Once again relationship-centered, these lyrics focus on the importance of two-way communication. Sophomore Eliza Kurtz relates to the lyrics of “Scrawny,” finding that both her and vocalist Minnette are “not always the greatest with change”. Commenting on the band’s style, she says the track “sounds like a song that you play in the summer with your windows down.” Wallows’s coming-of-age lyrics and innovative musicality have led it to be a culturally influential band in the latter-teen music sphere.
