Wallows Makes an Electrifying Return with “Tell Me That It’s Over”

By Charlize Tungol

Wallows’ highly anticipated sophomore album, Tell Me That It’s Over, was released on March 25th, 2022. Following the release of their second EP “Remote” in 2020, the band has definitely continued to be experimental with their sound. This album is just another taste of the band’s take at vulnerability, but they’ve clearly matured lyrically and sonically, taking their listeners on an adventure through love.

It was a surprise to all when “Hard to Believe” was the album opener as opposed to the three singles that the band released beforehand. Nonetheless, the track is a mild, grunge-pop introduction to the story of relationship dilemmas explored throughout the album. It starts off strong with a statement as Dylan Minnette (he/him), lead vocalist, sings, “And I just want to breathe / Is that so hard to believe? / Or would you agree with me? / And who would you choose to be?”

This concept of angst bleeds into the single “I Don’t Want to Talk,” which was released on September 21st, 2021. This track carries over the familiar indie rock sound from the band’s previous EP, matching the feelings being portrayed by the lyrics. There was a lot of speculation about this being the opener of the album, especially with the album name mentioned in the lyrics: “I'm not alright, but I don't need comfort / I don't want to talk / So could you tell me that it's over, tell me that it's over.”

The third track, “Especially You,” has love and adoration written all over it. Released in February, the month of love, the song, which has a dancey-pop vibe, describes the feeling of being obsessed with the idea of someone and thinking about them all the time. It juxtaposes the emotions carried through the two tracks preceding it but still experiments with the band’s yearning indie sound, interestingly including a banjo instrumental.

For “At the End of the Day,” the lead vocalist switches to Braeden Lemasters (he/him). This track also introduces a change to the melodies, bringing in a ‘70s/‘80s synth-pop sound. The lyrics describe the fear and foreshadowing of a doomed relationship, ultimately wishing happiness upon the other person at the end of the day. 

The album’s fifth track is “Marvelous,” literally and lyrically. It extends the same ‘70s/‘80s synth-pop sound of the previous track and explores the concept of unrequited love. The lyrics read, “Build a wall that you'll crash into / I just wanna do right by you,” and continue to, “Have a marvelous time / I won't get you off of my mind,” indicating a certain level of contentment within the singer, saying that they’re okay if being happy is a one-sided thing.

“Permanent Price,” featuring Lydia Night (she/her), lead vocalist of The Regrettes, is a standout on the album. It is undeniably a love song that talks about the “permanent price” of loving someone. Night is also currently dating Minnette, so it’s only appropriate that her first (and hopefully not last) appearance on a Wallows track is oh-so-romantic. The couple sings in the chorus, “The permanent price, the look in your eyes / I know what you mean without saying a thing / So please tell me now, but don't let me down / The words that you say are the price that I pay.”

The next two tracks, “Missing Out” and “Hurts Me,” return to the higher tempos and angsty feelings that the beginning of the album hinted at. They are similar to the sound familiar to fans, heard on their debut album, Nothing Happens, and they paint a lyrical middle finger with satisfying punk rock beats, hinting at Vampire Weekend influences. The story flows well, with the lyrics stating that one might be “missing out” on life by being in a destructive relationship and setting themselves free. Then, “Hurts Me” is quite literally a break-up song about the dilemma between choosing your head or your heart, chaotically mimicked by the back-and-forth vocals by Minnette and Lemasters in the chorus.

Track number nine is “That’s What I Get,” once again with leading vocals from Braeden Lemasters. Fans who heard this song at the band's listening party and Q&A event in Boston joked about it being a potential "1980s Horror Film III," following the band's previous releases of the first and second versions. It’s one of the more mellow songs on the album with hints of synthpop once again as Lemasters sings, “Hard to believe you couldn't see that you and me could be enough / I gave up on you 'cause you gave up on me / And that's what I get for falling in love.”

Lastly, the final track of the album is “Guitar Romantic Search Adventure.” Fans at the listening party saw it as the “Do Not Wait” (closing track of Nothing Happens) of Tell Me That It’s Over, with the M83-esque instrumental chorus and soft guitar throughout the song. As the album closer, which discusses the dilemmas, hardships, and tough realities of relationships, it’s a final decision of wanting to stay. The lyrics perfectly end the track and the album with the line, “So now I hope that you don’t tell me that it’s over.”

As the band now has two albums and two EPs out, this album is undeniably an indication of growth. Once singing about existentialism and teenage angst, the band now shifts to a more cultivated exploration of their sound, their musical influences, and love. It doesn’t have as catchy of hooks like the songs on “Spring EP” (released in June 2018) or Nothing Happens, but it leaves fans excited ahead of their 2022 Tell Me That It’s Over Tour.