Model/Actriz – Pirouette – clashmusic.com

Brooklyn’s boldest four-piece Model/Actriz showed on their debut ‘Dogsbody’ that they are adept at moulding their sound not with multi-genre fluency, but genreless fluidity altogether with crashing grace. Their blend of brash noise and sultry vulnerability was intoxicating. Even before, they stunned local crowds with their energy and intensity. On their follow up ‘Pirouette’, the group remain as nimble and precise as ever, even if with a little more sonic reticence.
In conversation with one another, the changes are apparent but subtle: their debut’s jagged edges making way for slightly more conventional structures, and while their controlled chaos bursts out when called upon, the group hold back more and with more intent. Album opener ‘Vespers’ launches with bullet guitar riffs before the trademark overwhelming bass tone begins their march across the rest of the song, with dissonant chimes closing the stripped back final chorus. It introduces a unique marriage of club energy with rock instrumentation, a formula they will call back to throughout the rest of the record.
On their lead single ‘Cinderella’, this sound takes the form of syncopated guitars, the familiar bass, and sharp hi-hats; it’s an intoxicating demonstration of their adept command of noise and time. The track writhes and evolves in its runtime, winding itself up before lashing out. Frontman Cole Haden sings about a lover with metaphorical mastery, though perhaps also more detached than a similar track on ‘Dogsbody’ might have been. ‘Diva’ is simple but another highlight, opening with plucky guitar arpeggios and a more typical drumbeat. Jack Wetmore’s guitar distorts into a different beast in the chorus, becoming bolder and more industrial, while a hi-hat reinjects the track with dance-y/new wave-y stylings. Haden muses on drinking culture; frustrated at its banality but rejoicing in its vices. In the chaos, it is mixed impeccably, with Seth Manchester (Lingua Ignota, Mdou Moctar) ensuring that the balance of noise never tips over to incomprehensible. 
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While the components are stellar, their tendency to fall back on familiarity is sometimes frustrating. Aaron Shaprio’s bass is enveloping on ‘Ring Road’, and plays an important role in holding many tracks together, but can sometimes feel a little tedious when it comes on during ‘Audience’. Similarly, Wetmore’s constant, distorted guitar stabs are so versatile on ‘Departures’, but it’s difficult not to feel there’s perhaps more to be drawn out from their talents. The thing is, each track is so full of transformations that there is always a nugget of intrigue. ‘Doves’, full of the recognisable guitars, has a much more tight drum machine rhythm filled with intricate hi-hat patterns. ‘Departures’ intro has an almost nu-metal styling in how it flutters around its opening chords, while the group again show their penchant for building itself up then letting the wave crash. Haden’s vocals are confident but vulnerable in its falsetto, mirroring his lyrical meditation on the constant anxiety of desiring to be another but accepting of oneself. 
Then when they do deviate, like the almost funk bass groove on ‘Acid Rain’, they’re able to weld it tightly with their sonic signature, and not sacrifice on their quirks. The song even has some folk-like acoustic riffs, as well as strong harmonies between Haden’s vocals and the delicate guitar. ‘Headlights’ gives us a spoken word piece, accompanied by spacey synths. Haden’s words are potent and melancholic, describing a first adolescent infatuation, as well as struggles with sexuality. It’s pared back, but a breathtaking showcase of their versatility. Similar to ‘Dogsbody’, album closer ‘Baton’ is contemplative, featuring some soft, pan-flute like synths, but juxtaposing with a booming bass drum and cymbal crashes, 
‘Pirouette’ is an album of contrasts, and to an equal measure Model/Actriz are a band of juxtapositions. The band expertly place seemingly clashing sounds side by side, but with their lyrical deft and technical prowess are able to make it work effortlessly. Similarly, they consistently bring club-pop energy while employing conventional rock instrumentation, all the while having a level of lyrical honesty and wit others rarely achieve. In that way, ‘Pirouette’ is at its strongest when it turns these elements all the way up, and while it is an engaging listen nonetheless, it falters slightly when they turn back to the familiar.  
8/10
Words: Yu An Su
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