Every Single Album - 'Chuck Timely & The Hourglass' | Every Single Album: Role Model

Episode Date: August 13, 2026

It's time to talk about Role Model, one of the newest pop boys on the scene. Nora and Nathan break down the second studio album from Mr. Role (Mr. Model? Tucker Pillsbury?) and talk about the easy listening and familiar sounds on 'Chuck Timely & The Hourglass' (1:00), the ’70s rock references throughout the record (16:52), an, of course, the Dakota Johnson cameo (37:36). Hosts: Nora Princiotti and Nathan HubbardProducer: Kaya McMullen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello and welcome to every single album. I'm Nora Preciati, and as always, I am joined by my friend Nathan Hubbard, calling in from vacation once again. How's it going, Nathan? Why are we doing this? I want to say, clearly for everyone, that you were given so many outs to just like take a nice vacation. Just have some time, have some lake time. and your commitment to the game. It is deep, it is profound, and we are grateful for it.

But it is also such that we are here to discuss role model. A person, a man, a role, who has not gotten a lot of airtime here tofore on this podcast. Mr. Roll has a new album, Chuck Timely and the Hourglass. That came out last Friday. And Nathan, I'm going to be honest, I see a lot. your face, I see it right now, I see a look of regret. I see a look of disappointment with the choices that you, given an array of options made for yourself and end thereby for me. How are you feeling? Not good. I feel so badly about this whole thing. I mean, the only thing that I'm,

I think I'm inventing this in my head, but I think I believe that there's a portion of our audience that listens to the show every week. And there are times where we take a few weeks off, but I felt like maybe this would be something that was interesting and worth talking about because role model shows up in my social feed now and then. And Sally, when the wine runs out, Natalie Portman came out and there have been some others. And he's dated. I did Emma Chamberlain and now is dating Dakota Johnson. So surely, Nora, it was a worthwhile endeavor to spend this week diving in to the new role model album called, what's it called Chuck Timely and the Hourglass? Surely it was a good thing and a good use of our time, right, Nora?

You know what? I think it was. I think this was a great idea. Because I think there's an interesting conversation for us to have here about Mr. Roll or Mr. model or whatever I'm supposed to call him, Tucker Pillsbury, as it was or as it would be. Because I think what his place in pop music is, and in particular in the ecosystem of male artists, which is something that we spent, and we had sort of a recurring. thread of a conversation going about for a lot of last year, I would say, just in terms of like,

where are the boys? I think how role model fits into that ecosystem, whether he is conversant with a lot of the artists that we tend to talk about on this podcast, or whether he is conversant, maybe a little bit more with the Benson Boones of the world, is something that I'm interested in and curious about your take on. And I think there's some interesting things on this album that we can talk about. So let's do it. I think it's great. I'm so glad to see your face, and I'm very glad that we're here together today. I wish everyone could see the look on Nathan's face right now. We're going to switch to video soon, and it's going to be the end of me, because I'm not going to

be able to hide. Listen, let me just be clear about something. There is absolutely nothing. problematic about this album at the micro level, Nora. It sounds great. It's easy listening. It's very familiar. But it's that familiarity at the macro level that makes it so fucking offensive to me. And it's because I know this is a kind of. concept album. But I wonder has he as an artist earned the permission to make a concept album that is a

throwback that leans so heavily into cosplaying Jackson Brown or the Eagles or the Rolling Stones? And there are signs pulled right out of the art of those artists on this album every single place that you look. And maybe we need that. Maybe we, you know, Vegas needs Elvis impersonators. Maybe in 2026. We need somebody who is impersonating all of the desert trip rockers from that festival out in Coachella that they, because they are getting old.

And maybe we need somebody to carry on those traditions. But like, I can forgive it when our pop girls sometimes recycle things because in this moment in time, I feel like they're saying something. substantive. They're saying something that matters. They are giving us some insight into culture. They're moving culture in meaningful ways. But here, these are recycled ideas about being in a bar. And it has all of the charm and warmth of a drunk bar conversation. And it also has all of the substance, which is to say none. And that is my problem with this.

album because it's super easy if you just squint your eyes and blur everything to be like, wow, man, I love the Eagles and Jackson Brown is cool and this 70s rock stuff is really great. But then it's like, okay, it's 2026. Why are we doing this? And I think the crux of it for me and what's interesting to me is how his celebrity and personal relationships and unassailable handsomeness has been sort of used as a tool. I'm not going to say industry plant because there are very successful, highly skilled record label marketing people who are behind this project. There are very accomplished musicians and producers who are behind this. But it feels to me having now bit on the hook like the fish out my window right now, it feels like I was a little duped.

And like the game has been played on me just as a fan. It roped me in and I spent 47 minutes with an album that again, sounds surface level, great, but is a fraction of a hair deep. And I'm pissed about that. Okay, interesting. I don't, like, I hear everything you're saying. I think there's such an inoffensiveness to, to all. of this to me, I think rather than feel any sense of affront from it, it just makes me go,

okay, why? Like, what is the reason for making these songs? What is the reason for this? I'm interested in you calling it a concept album. What would you say the concept is? I mean, Chuck Timely is a character. Is that the sense in which you feel like it's a concept? concept album. Chuck Timely is a character who seems to be rooted in 70s bar culture,

who's maybe time travel. As far as I can tell, is a guy who goes to the bar and then goes, man, I should leave this bar and get a girlfriend. And he just sort of does that. He just sort of does that. Which is, which is like, that's the story of Sally. like did this all did did sally just go too far well there's an argument right like he's like the child actor who gets or child star that gets frozen in the moment in which they became famous it's like that song blew up and so we're not going to stray at all far afield

from songs about being drunk and in the bar i mean there's a lot of i was drunk or i was hungover or like that is scattered through this album and i get it's part of the character, maybe? Yeah. Yeah, I don't know. But does this matter? Like, does it matter? I'm all worked up about it largely because, like, yeah, I mean, I was back to Audrey

Hobart before the end of the gym session, but like, I'm worked up about it, but it's going to chart 10th this week. There's multiple other albums that are new that are going to chart ahead of it. Olivia's still in the top 10. Noah Khan still in the top 10. Ariana still in the top 10. This one's going to chart probably 10th at about one-tenth of what Ariana charted at last week in her debut. Does this matter?

And I think it's okay that the answer is no. I just feel like the pop culture machine has forced this on me. and to make it seem like it's a bigger deal than it is. And that is maybe unfair to Tucker. I don't necessarily feel like this is a huge deal. I don't, I think, if, I mean, I found this very funny. I think one thing that has helped role model Tucker in his rise is that he's very funny online. Like he's very good on the internet.

He's awesome online. And I saw something that was making around where he'd, you know, there was something that had been posted about this record. And somebody in the comments had written, is this the moonbeam ice cream guy? And he'd responded to that in a way that was very funny. And it was like, you've got to be kidding me. And that's very charming and that's a funny way to be. and that's good nature and having a good sense of humor. If I'm honest, I do think that there's a fair portion of people

and even like pop fluent people and people who are paying some amount of attention who, like, that's a fair representation of what they know about role model and his music. I think that has been complicated a little bit by just the fact that he had this one huge breakout song that had this celebrity tie-in moment that meant that it was ubiquitous even beyond the point where it was just Sally was ubiquitous on the radio. It was a big radio hit. But I don't think that like I don't think that he's like. super, super ascendant. And I think the data from this album, to some degree, so far, it's very early days, but that seems to be backing that up.

I think, to me, like, what's most interesting is he did come up in a similar moment when we were getting, like, the Benson Boone's and the Alex Warrens and, like, these guys who, you know, had either come from TikTok or, like, had one real breakout song and... Or did backflips off pianos? Or did backflips off pianos? And I think a real open question is, to me, is is anyone from that cohort going to last?

Like, are we going to be talking about any of these people in... I'm not talking about five years or ten years. I'm talking about two years. And, you know, I think this is a shaky entry, to be honest, in the ecosystem of which way is that going to go. And as you said, it's not, like, it's perfectly pleasant. But that's almost the rub with it. It's like, it's too inoffensive. Yeah.

I think there's different feelings about the last Charlie X-X album, but it is an artistic statement. She has vision, and you know she knows that everything she puts out has a purpose, and she has clarity around who she is as an artist and why she's making it. And my challenge with these male artists who are, are not Harry Styles, who incidentally has done such a great job of clarity around why he's an artist and not falling prey to just making something that I hope people will like. And if anything, the last album is a continuation of amazing choices that he has made as a solo artist

to just follow his path. I smell a lack of vision from some of these other artists. And it comes through, particularly in the marketing of the celebrity component. What do we know about role model? There was a lot of chatter in which he was a participant about his relationship with Emma Chamberlain. The songs were called out very directly as being about Emma Chamberlain. Very famous online personality. Then it was celebrities coming out and dancing during Sally. And this album, suddenly the big headline was,

Dakota Johnson snuck into the studio and did a back and forth cute little flirt thing which I mean we'll get to that On love I you're perfect You say that to everyone Okay well is it working Yeah but don't tell anyone

On Love IU That again was It felt to me used to promote The album And that's my thing is just with Charlie With some of these other artists we got a Phoebe record next week that I can't wait for. Those feel like you are invited in for the art.

And this one to me just felt like you were invited in for the celebrity. And that's okay if you get there and you can see the vision of the art. In fact, Charlie X, X, X, X, a lot of people came to Charlie because of the celebrity and the buzz and the culture stuff around Brat summer, right? They had no idea who she was as an artist. But you cannot listen to Brat and not be like, fuck, that is an artist. Yeah. And this one with this album, again, put it on in the background at a coxail party with people who like the Eagles. And this thing will fly as easily as possible.

It will offend nobody. It's easy listening. The melodies are, but you have heard it all before. I would encourage you instead to go pick out the Jackson Brown song, to go pick out, you know, if you're going to listen to service receipt, go listen to Say You Love Me by Fleetwood Mac. It's, you know, if you're going to listen to Joy, just go turn on the brown sugar by the stones and then turn on spin doctors. Little Miss can't be wrong. And then finish with Billy Idol's moni, mooney. Like, you don't, go to the source. It's almost like this is, this is the AI search of make me an incredibly handsome, very charming, smooth-voiced, amalgamated. of the 70s rock that I like in the body of someone

who can connect with young people in 2026. Yeah, I mean, just today, I think he did BBC Radio 1 cover of Olivia Rodrigo's maggots for brains. Great songs. Great song and like a fun choice. And again, he posts the thing where it's like a picture of him lying on a lawn on a towel.

And he has this caption where he's like covered maggots for brains by Olivia Rodriguez for the BBC today just to get out in front of the comments. Like I totally sucked. Smiley face, smiley face. And like it's very funny. It's very knowing of the way that people converse online. I share your feeling of like, okay, but then what else is behind that? Let's go into some of these songs with a little bit more specificity.

Is there one that you would like to start with? No. I mean... Okay. You know what? Look. Here's what I'll give you. I don't mind service receipt.

I don't mind service receipt. I like that. I like Desperate Motherfucker. I think it's funny. Desperate motherfucker is good. I enjoyed that. You're right. It's my favorite lyric.

I started with Say You Love Me. Yeah, exactly. Because that's what this album feels like. It feels like a great moment of honesty there. At least, again, it's serviceable Jackson Brown or the Eagles. It's got some take it easy. in some ways the real probably like the most revealing album

is in good thing where I wonder how many different reference points you pulled out around that song I got a lot of John Mayer from it I've got it so many times but the line where he says wrote a hand there's some sweet Caroline there's some Neil

the thing that offended me was the Sweet Caroline Neil Diamond pre-chorus stuff where I was like, oh boy, touching you, touching me. Like, come on, man. Touching hands. Oh, but there's the line where he goes, wrote a handful of songs,

the crowd sang along still don't know why. Wrote a handful of songs. The crowd sang along. still don't Yeah I mean maybe there's some some honesty there I think one of the things

that is challenging to me with this No it's fun It's a fun song They're having a good time They're having a good time Throughout this album There's lots of like

Let's go and laughing and part Like it does feel like a party But it's not Jimmy Buffett right? Or it's not, I don't know. What's a comparable party band that you go and you know it's about like a margarita and a good time? Maybe that's what he wants to be. And that's cool. Again, like that can go play amphitheaters around the U.S. every couple of summers and it'll be fine. But yeah, I mean, I think I think good thing is fine. I love. like service receipt. I thought Joy was okay, but there just were so many references that it was

hard for me to get out from under that. I didn't mind the wedding. Like, I felt like that was a kind of a nice... I thought the wedding was sort of charming. Yeah, I thought the wedding was sort of charming. Joy. I agree. Joy is tough because joy is another song about how he needs to leave the bar and get a girlfriend. Right. Chuck, you got to get out of the bar. Chuck, you got to go. You got to go. I think you know what you got to do.

You said it five times. You got to go. He's not very timely. He needs to just keep the fuck out of the bar. He's not timely at all. I mean, maybe that's the hourglass. He keeps going, they flip it over and he's just back in the bar. But I think that's like, that's another element of this where it's a bit challenging

for me is that, okay, this is not role model's first album, but he is a relative young emerging artist. He already goes by a name that is not his own, which is like, fine. But I don't feel, like, I don't have a lot of context for the character of role model. He's certainly, like, some of this doesn't come out of nowhere. He's written a lot of songs about, like,

being a fuckboy, basically, in the past. Like, this is someone... He's pretty vanilla. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, he has a song called Slut Era, which is kind of funny. Yeah. I'm going through it, girl, because you do it girl. Press that body on my body, go ahead, use a girl.

Yeah. I don't, but I mean, like, as a, yeah. That's not me saying that that doesn't, that you can't still be pretty vanilla and have a song called Slut era. but we're already dealing with someone whose persona and identity and who role model is as an artist is not something that I feel like

I have a picture perfect image of and so then this record adopts the Chuck timely persona on top of that and... Right. It feels too soon to be adopting personas. still want to get to know who you are as an artist.

Yes. And maybe he doesn't know that. And so this was an easy dodge. Right. But I do think that if it's, if you, to be in a moment, I can only imagine as an artist where you sort of need that dodge, I think that would be, that would, that's a tough thing to have happen coming out of this big breakout moment, right? Because there's all of this visibility that comes from that.

And they have obviously leaned into that with, you know, incorporating Dakota in this and advertising that and getting more eyeballs on this album because of that. Because of it. And then therefore having that attention reveal, okay, this is a little half-baked. Right. Well, do you think it's half-baked or just... Yeah, I guess it's not that deep. It's just not the deep. It's not...

That's it. It's essential. It sounds wonderful, and the players are all playing well, and the notes are sung well, and the melodies are easily digestible. It just doesn't feel deep in a moment in time in which, again, like, did I think the Harry record was like the best thing I'd ever heard? No, but, like, I felt like he was really honest,

and I felt like I got to understand him in this moment better, and that's what we command of our biggest pop stars right now, is that they tell us who they are and that they teach us about themselves and that they comment on the world around them. And again, we also need Michael Boubley. Well, so this is what I was going to ask. Do you think that we are, to some degree,

being victims of the current expectations of being a pop star, which is not necessarily exactly what we're. model is trying to do, where there's an assumption and a bias towards a lot of introspection, a lot of unburdening and a lot of mining of the soul, which I think sometimes has real pitfalls for artists. there's certainly such a thing as plenty of songs that are great songs, are even iconic songs, that are just awesome to listen to and make you feel a certain way without necessarily, like, quote unquote, saying something.

Yeah. And like... There's space for that. Sometimes I feel like the art, like, is there just sort of like a Lizzo-sized hole in music that is kind of necessary for a certain type of playlisting, a certain type of radio, and like, here comes Tucker to fill it. That's how I feel to an extent about this.

These are songs that are upbeat. They tell you to have a good time. They sound comfortably familiar to almost anyone who's ever heard a song before. And they're kind of, you know, there's a lot of operative. optimism to it, I guess, when he's not singing about being really drunk. I just don't want to pretend that there hasn't been like a place for that in very popular music. Well, there has been. I mean, that's Alex Warren. That's die with a smile. That's, I don't, I, I, but this just doesn't have the same mass appeal. And I think about like, who were some of the male artists who were sort of breaking out.

that got a Saturday night live slot over the past year or two. I think about McGee, I think about Dijon, I think about geese. Like those artists, yeah, I guess they're a little more indie and they're a little bit less digestible. Yes. Although McGee and Dijon were behind the Bieber record that crushed Coachella and was, you know, really a career extender. Yeah, but that's Justin Bieber. But I think the music is connecting in a way that is, different and doesn't feel, you know, reheated nachos. And there's a lot of reheated nachos

happening here, even though they're delicious nachos. They're great. And if you've never had nachos the first time, you would never really know that they're reheated here. And so some of this is get off my lawn, old man, like, oh, I remember the fucking start of Rolling Stone song. And I remember Jackson Brown and the load up. But I do think it is important in this moment in which our friends at Spotify are changing the way they label AI music. And like there is in the same way that the algorithm should not be allowed to be trained on a bunch of music and pretend that it is new. I also think human beings trained on a bunch of old music and putting it forward as something new is a dangerous path to go down. Now, like, there's is room for what you just said, like straight down

the middle. Like, again, we've got Boubley and we've got Vegas impersonators and we've got like, it's okay. And this is not that. Again, it is really easy and nice to listen to. I just, this is one of those things where the, when I hear the roots of these songs so directly in other stuff, but then the music itself, they aren't being used to move culture or make a statement in a meaningful way. I just get left annoyed at the people who are trying to convince us. Again, I think maybe in a way that's unfair to Tucker that this is a massive star and they're using celebrity as the vehicle to do that. And it feels cynical. Yeah, I think that's right.

I think that's definitely a complicating element of just listening to this, experiencing this album. I think the question that I'm trying to answer is like, I don't think that this music is going to have a lasting spot in my rotation. I'm going to go ahead and assume that there is a place for it in our musical ecosystem more broadly than that. And what I'm trying to understand is like what is that place? Yeah, festivals need undercards. Festivals need people on the stage at 8 o'clock before the headliner comes on at 9.30 and 11. He's a bit like Del Water Gap to me. There's good stuff there.

There's some songs like the song that Del Water Gap did with Maggie Rogers is fucking awesome. And he shows up and he puts on a really good show. It's just it doesn't, to me, right now, grab you by the heart and pull you forward. He is legit on stage. There's people who enjoy it. But for all of those individual role model tattoos, are there people who are going to get a role model tattoo?

I love sometimes the things that are like your bars for what, at what point something becomes meaningful or a phenomenon are so funny. I'm sorry. I bet there's a role model tattoo. I'm grumpy vacation Nathan this week. I bet there's a role model tattoo or two kicking around out there somewhere. What did you think of Chuck's mantra, the opening song? I am deserving of something real.

Honestly, that was what I wanted to hear you respond to, because my question for you on Chuck's mantra is, is it one of those interludes that you hate or is it an important table setter to get us into character? Is it method acting? I don't know what it is. Again, it's sweet.

It sounds good. I mean, it's, there's nothing that is dissonant on this record. No, that might be kind of interesting. The choir, when he brings, in the quiet, I mean, the mantra at the very beginning, he does this whole thing where he's like, I am deserving of something real. And, you know, maybe it's like the thing that he says that Chuck timely says to himself in the mirror before he goes to the bar and then he's like, I want a girlfriend.

This was one of those things where I had a kernel of, of, not secondhand embarrassment, but I just was like, is this a bit? Is this a joke? Is this real? And that's, that's the album. Yeah, because there is a lot of, like, pastiche with this. There are a lot of moments where you get, even in, like, High Hopes 3,000, which is a fun song. Fun song. At the very end, when the call and response kicks in, I don't know if this is meant to be caricature. Like, it has... Right.

Tiptoed into the realm of caricature, and I don't know. if it's intentional or not. Unfortunately, if I had to guess, I would come down on it being unintentional. And there's an interesting, like, kind of you know it when you see it thing with a lot of these songs for me where there are just, I don't know what I, I don't really think there's anything fundamentally different about, for instance, good thing or service receipt, which are two of the songs that I enjoyed, or the wedding. There are a few of these where I just go, all right, He's doing the exact same thing here, but for some reason, I buy it. Whereas some of the other ones I go...

Yeah, they just nailed the melody in... Yeah. Yeah. Or there's a phrase that you catch on to. Like, he's... Yeah. Desper. And I don't think that it's...

Like, nothing about that is fundamentally different from joy, which again is, like, I... It is a completely in offensive song, but I do think is, like, in a weird way, that's the one that I would like blast into the sun because it just feels it just feels so sticky but I don't think it's supposed to. I felt that way about honeydew. Yeah, honeydew is an interesting one

because at the very beginning like you sort of get this sense of oh he thinks this one's like really weird and experimental and it is in fact not real revealed to me as such. Stain I would shoot out. I think Stain is, it's not a stain. That would be too harsh.

Because again, it's okay if you like this. It's okay. You're not cool. It's totally okay. My issue with this album is not in the minutia. It's in really the marketing of it. Well, so then, I mean, in some ways, I think the one that you would get rid of is Love I use,

the song with Dakota, because it would just, like, eliminate a whole level of, hey, hey, look at this, hey, look at this. That I think is part of what is rubbing you the wrong way. Well, rubs me the wrong way on Love IU is, is that really how they flirt? Like, is that how they just run out of ideas? I think that's how Dakota Johnson flirts with Chuck timely. All right, then, honey.

What is it this time? Well, see, I got money. Oh, you think you're big time. They just run out of ideas and one of them goes, uh-huh. Well, yeah, because I think Chuck timely is always standing by the jukebox at the bar, and he's had a few cold ones. And so that's the level of conversational acrobatics that Chuck is bringing to the table. And what can Dakota do other than reciprocate? Yeah, she seems to get checkmated by some pretty weak sauce game.

but no, I wouldn't kill that song because I love the Whirlitzer on that song. It sounds fucking cool. I mean, he said that he was inspired by like Madonna and a lot of 80s dance pop, but then wanted to recreate that sound without using any synths and with using, you know, piano and guitar,

does that come through to you? No. It's not really me either. It does not. I do like, I like, I like, you know I love a pan flute. And there's a little bit of pan flute on chasing midnight. Yeah, but that song is by and by by Camp. It's also about being at the.

bar and wanting a girlfriend. I mean, I'm dead. I mean... Go ahead. What advice would you give to roll? I know I'm not supposed to call him that. have to call him role. I think that's his name now. Well, first of all, he does not need my advice. He's surrounded by incredibly intelligent people.

But okay, but like operate from the point of view that this is a talented person with a good amount of goodwill out there. Yeah, he does. And I just want to know more about him in the art that he makes. Like I want, like, what is his purpose? What does he want to be as an artist? I'd want to really think hard about that and have a point of view on it that gets expressed through the music because I think that that's just what was missing for me.

I was ready for like a pretty big breakout thing. And look, there are a lot of people who are writing these songs too. You get the sense from the credits that there's a lot of hands in the cookie jar. And that... Yes. that might be why a lot of the songs don't go very far, as you said,

there isn't anything that feels experimental or like pushing the envelope. It feels algorithmic. And I wonder if on the next record, if he takes more of the wheel than he did on this record. And I don't know how involved he was, but I think for me it is just to pierce through culture right now for something other than celebrity, you really got to have a point of view in the art that you're publishing. And this is very easy to digest. And like you said, there is an audience for it.

But I suspect that with his celebrity, with his voice, with the quality of sound that the group of people he's surrounded himself with are creating, that if you layered in, you know, an artistic, perspective that that gets through the music, it might even reach a larger audience than the one that we're seeing is actually smaller than I thought at the outset based on, again, his presence in the circles of the internet that I spend time in. That's all. And I think the mismatch between those two things is not doing this album. very many favors.

But I do think it feels when you watch him just kind of exist when you watch him even just post and respond to people online and actually

in some of the earlier music that was a little bit less polished but where he was you know writing about his slut era and stuff like like

more so than Benson Boone or Alex Warren I get the sense that there is someone with like a point of view that is novel in some way underneath all of this.

I think in some ways that's why this is a little bit disappointing because it just doesn't come like that feels asynchronous with how smoothed down and simplistic this album is. But yeah, that would be my hope is that if there's a way to kind of get under the hood and figure out how to make that sense of, you know, real personality translate into the music,

that would be cool. Or maybe I'm just imagining things, you know? Maybe I'm just seeing stuff. Yeah, I think I said my piece. Would you like to give it a grade? No, I don't want to give it a grade. No, I don't want to give it a grade because I don't want to, because I think the way that you grade this album depends on what you're looking for in it.

And what this really is for me is that my expectations were really, really high because of everything that I was seeing. And what I got was something that was really easy to listen to and inoffensive. And like you and I have listened to a lot of albums over the course of the last year. and there have been many times where I have been more, like, viscerally offended than I ever was on this album. Again, it's not offensive sort of sonically. What rubbed me the wrong way was just that I had expected something that felt like a step forward instead of an amalgamation of things that had been done before, and I didn't come away

understanding him as an artist. So I don't want to grade it because that is, yeah, because. What would you rather listen to? The David Cronenberg outro on music fashion film or Chuck's mantra. Chuck's mantra all day. Chuck's mantra all day. All right. Just check it in there.

If you're going to put harsh sonic shit against this album, this album's going to win every time. And I think you asked the right question here, which is, is this just Alex Warren? with a really handsome, more celebrity guy, which is to say fairly vanilla generic stuff that is easy to digest and is intended for a wider audience that doesn't give a shit about a lot of the things that we've talked about on this podcast that we're looking for from the music.

Because if so, if, as you called it, a Lizzo-sized hole, that he can fill, then it's serviceable. It's serviceable. I don't restrict myself, but the one thing with Alex Warren is that a lot of the Alex Warren stuff is a little downbeat. It's a little dower almost. And this is not that.

This is like, it's fun. This is a good time. I don't think that you can say that this is not, yeah. Chuck timely is Chuck Good Timely. But I wonder if he wants to be Jimmy Buffett or if he actually wants to go for the lane that Harry Stiles has proven as possible still in male pop? And what is, does that ambition exist?

Which doing things like covering maggots for brains suggests he does. And then the songs themselves, I think, suggests something else. I gave it a C. I can grade it. not a coward. It's C. Yeah, I'm a coward, aren't I? It's okay. That was said with love. Yeah. I think it's just

it's just that in this case, I feel like there was, yeah, yeah, I don't agree. I didn't feel like I came into it was super high expectations, but I think that's where I land. A much less like viscerally aggravated sea, I would say. I would watch this set at a festival unquestionably because like it's going to be fun. There's going to be lots of hooting and hollering

and he's probably fun to watch up there for 45 minutes and he can sing and they're going to play good notes. Are you excited for Phoebe Bridgers? I am really excited for Phoebe Bridgers. Let's go. We get this album. You and I are recording on a Tuesday. I know, it's only a few days.

Are you following all the stuff about, like, are you up on the rocket ship bed sheets situation? Do you want to explain it to me? Maybe we can talk about it more offline in preparation for the album. There's just a situation where Gracie Abrams and Phoebe Bridgers have the same children's glow-in-the-dark rocket ship bedsheets. And I think it seems like they might make an appearance on this Phoebe Bridgers album. I just wanted to see if your internet was internetting in the same way that mine has been.

I've been largely trying to stay off the internet. That's good. That's healthy. I'm getting on it this week. And I'm excited about this Phoebe record. And speaking of high hopes, holy shit, do I have high hopes? I know. This conversation in some ways is a cautionary tale of the perils of sky high expectations,

at least for you. Yeah, I can't. In Phoebe, we trust. I can't resist. In Phoebe, I trust. Yeah. All right. Well, that'll be our next conversation.

And hopefully that'll be really fun. Nathan, thank you for. stepping out of vacation mode and gracing us with your presence today. I hope this has been edifying and positive for you. Thanks, Nora. This has been every single album. As always, I'm Nora Frinciatti. He's Nathan Hubbard.

Thank you to Kaya McMullen for producing this episode. And to you for listening. We'll talk to you next week.