(5 / 5)
Singer and songwriter Role Model (aka Tucker Pillsbury) drops his highly anticipated third album “Chuck Timely & The Hourglass”, which marks his first new music since releasing “Kansas Anymore (The Longest Goodbye)” – the expanded edition of his July 2024 second album, which spun off the viral sensation “Sally, When The Wine Runs Out” and has amassed nearly 320 million streams to date.
The new dozen-track album is quite simply a fantastic record from top to bottom. Staying behind the alter ego or not, this album proves Role Model deserves a taste of the big time.
On his “No Place Like Tour” run, the live shows saw cameo appearances from A-Listers including Kate Hudson, Hilary Duff and Olivia Rodgrigo as his “Sally”, with the clips shared ferociously online that lead to Tucker notching up that gazillion streams. Although the cameos have (mostly) been dropped for this next album cycle, Tucker’s alter-ego “Chuck” has no shortage of star power.
The concept of “Chuck Timely” came from one of Tucker’s old potential stage names before he settled on Role Model. He’d even reserved the Instagram handle @chucktimely and then @TheHourglass, which fans were quick to gravitate towards in the build up to the release. He uses the Chuck persona as a vehicle to be able to open up and take listeners on a journey through his struggles with heartbreak, finding new love and the inevitable passage of time. Make no mistake though, all of these feelings and confessions are Tucker’s own.
The whole album leans into Role Model’s trademark folk-infused pop sound with acoustic guitars, up-tempo drum beats and even a hint of Elton John-inspired keys throughout. Tucker’s vocals are crisp and clean, often accompanied by emotive harmonising backing vocals. Production handled by Mason Stoops, Kane Ritchie and Taylor Mackall.
The album’s opener “Chuck’s Mantra”, sets the tone for the sonic journey Tucker is about to lead us on. The lyrics include affirmations of: “I am deserving of something real, something true, someday soon”; but also a reminder that “time is no friend of mine”.
The next tracks “High Hopes 3000” and “A Song Is All You Get” are lively and upbeat, with the latter track reminiscing on those spontaneous nights where you run into people or places you might have wished to make more permanent memories of; “I wish I had a photograph to remember the two of us”.
There’s a few surprises in there too; “Stain” leads with a delicate, whimsical flute melody, and the swaying, “Love I You” includes a spoken-word bridge performed with actress (and romantic partner) Dakota Johnson . “Oh, you think you’re big time?” she jibes. “No just being funny,” is the response!
“Service Receipt” laments about the struggle to find new connections and move on from a previous romantic relationship. Eagle-eyed fans will notice this was teased back in May with a blurry photo of a receipt with a phone number and “eye love you”, handwritten on the bottom with the caption, “I don’t know why I do it”.
There’s moments of softness and vulnerability too. Penultimate track, “The Wedding” will certainly be relatable to those of a similar age to Tucker, who have started attending all their friend’s weddings and feeling the joy and love around them. Stripped back ballad “Honeydew” is one of the more romantic tracks on the record, building to the final chorus in a gorgeous crescendo with string arrangements and group vocals promising, “We’ll be alright”.
Fans who managed to bag tickets for this summer’s Reading & Leeds festivals this month – 27th – 30th August – are in for a treat when he airs those sparkling new songs, or should I say when he Chucks them into the set! If you missed out on these shows, he is back here in February 2027 at Wembley Arena.
By Fran Parry
(1 / 5) ‘Dull Zone’
(2 / 5) ‘OK Zone’
(3 / 5) ‘Decent Zone’
(4 / 5) ‘Super Zone’
(5 / 5) ‘Awesome Zone’
Recent Comments