One of the few things that gives me genuine joy in 2020 is indie rock band ‘Wallows‘. I hopped on the bandwagon when the ‘OK‘ single and music video dropped. Since then I have been listening to their past projects religiously and I would go so far as to say that they are part of the soundtrack for my life. The inexplicable joy of driving with your friends with the music turned all the way up as our screaming voices fill tunnels and roads will forever be associated with Wallows for me.

My experience with the singles for their latest project, ‘Remote‘ has been an odd one to say the least. Their first single, ‘Nobody Gets Me (Like You)’ took a bit of getting used to given the musical change for the new era. That being said, it quickly found it’s way to my daily rotation. Their second single ‘Virtual Aerobics’ threw me for a loop. It was such a different sound for them, more so then their previous single. It sounded so busy musically that I kept going back to it and found new parts to enjoy. Over time, I grew to actually love the song. Now all I need to is to learn the choreography from the lyric video.

Having heard their entire discography, I can say with confidence that Wallows is one of the most exciting groups working in music right now. With every single body of work they created, they crafted unique and distinct melodies which are bound to get stuck in your head one way or another. Remote is no different. Just this morning while I was getting ready, I was humming along to ‘Talk Like That‘. However the aspect that makes Remote so special isn’t the catchy melodies, Wallows has always been good at that. No, the aspect which makes Remote an exciting and bold movie for the band is it’s new sound.

While ‘Spring‘ was more of an intimate, laid-back type of project, ‘Nothing Happens‘ felt more cinematic and emotionally cohesive. Of course the latter is a full studio album so it had more benefits. When it comes to Remote, they change their sound completely and go for something new and bold. I don’t really know what to call the genre. It’s totally unique in the sense that each track sounds different and has something new to offer while at the same time staying cohesive as a project. Wallows manages to inject as much personality and charm into their songs and despite this being a new sound, it still has that Wallows magic.

On my initial listen, I was still very frazzled so I had to listen to it a couple more times to really understand the EP. I didn’t really know what I liked until my third listen. At first I thought that the only song I disliked was ‘Talk Like That’ but after another listen I found myself enjoying it. I also thought ‘Coastlines’ was my favourite track but now it’s looking like that’s not the case. My point is that there is a lot to enjoy in this EP and the more you listen to it, the better it gets. You’ll hear certain songs in a different way or pick up something new. You’ll think you found your favourite song but then another one comes on and you rethink it.

Overall Wallows has pretty much done it again! I can definitely tell that this will be a project I will be listening to on repeat for a while. Every single song has something unique which it brings to the EP. It’s really something special that these guys can create such infectious and original melodies and do it consistently throughout their career. I really hope they get the attention they deserve. If you haven’t heard of Wallows, give them a try, I’m certain you’ll become a fan. 

As of writing this review, this is my current ranking: 

1. Wish Me Luck
2. Virtual Aerobics
3. Coastlines
4. Nobody Gets Me (Like You)
5. Talk Like That
6. Dig What You Dug

Wallows’s Remote is now available to stream or purchase anywhere music is available.
Be sure to check out the official Wallows store for Remote themes merch!