Pirouette by Model/Actriz | Album Review

The sophomore LP from the queer dance-punk outfit refines their signature style to a fine point.

The world of music often serves as a refuge for queer people. What better place for people who feel outcast and estranged from heteronormative society than the artistic world, filled with creators and fans alike who share that similar tumultuous journey?

However, the genres of noise rock and post-punk often feel lacking in that openness, unusual considering bands in this category often make some of the most transgressive and mold-breaking music sold today. Boston quartet Model/Actriz aim to shake that up, adding a hefty dose of gayness to a world they felt lacked that particular shade of color.

Considering frontman Cole Haden was discovered by his bandmates performing in a basement, writhing on the ground, clad in a corset and fake blood, the live performance is integral to the Model/Actriz experience. They built up a fervent fanbase in the underground scene, such that community excitement buzzed for their debut LP Dogsbody.

For this debut, Model/Actriz turned to underground producer extraordinaire Seth Manchester, who I’m familiar with for his incredible work with Kristin Hayter, better known as Lingua Ignota. Like he does with Hayter, it’s clear Manchester gave the group immense sonic and creative freedom, as Dogsbody is a harrowing mixture of distorted noise rock, industrial no-wave, and pounding dance beats, executed with aplomb.

Model/Actriz smartly returned to work with Manchester for their sophomore LP Pirouette. With his help, the band have refined their style to a fine point: stuttering guitars and drums working in perfect synchronicity, creating a steady stream of dance-punk bangers, a perfect background for Haden’s most personal lyrics yet.

Just look at “Cinderella.” This song is built on the repetition of one note on guitar, slightly off the beat, like an extremely rhythmic record skipping. Under the surface, deep bass and other effects add to the dark, moody atmosphere. Over top, Haden recounts feelings from a date, becoming so comfortable with the other person that you reveal an obsolete shame from deep within you, something I think a lot of queer people will find relatable:

Okay, I'll share this

When I was five, I remember clearly

My want to have a Cinderella birthday party

And when the moment came and I changed my mind

I was quiet, alone, and devastated.

“Diva” explores another familiar thread of queer life: the way casual flings can slip away like sand through an hourglass, especially for a touring artist, constantly traveling to new places. Underneath, the drums skitter and the bass positively growls, creating an industrial vibe that lends the song an effortless cool factor.

I also quite enjoy the rumbling tension of “Audience,” over which Haden describes some kind of strange ritual, a private performance of some sort. Is he describing performative masculinity? Doing drag? Masturbation? It’s anyone’s guess:

There is no audience

For what I have just conjured here

Swollen eyes scanning the mezzanine

Gesturing thanks to the orchestra…

And they'll send me straight to the hoosegow

For a lackluster performance.

But “Departures” might be the most unique Model/Actriz track to date. Over a vaguely Kraftwerkian dance-rock beat, Haden starts by describing a man, an object of his obsession, standing on the subway platform. Things take a twist, though, as Haden then describes putting on platform heels, rouge, and a skirt, attempting to personally embody the woman that this man would fall in love with. It’s a remarkable and bizarre twist on the trope of unrequited love.

While Model/Actriz have undoubtedly perfected a signature sound in this album, rarely do they venture outside it. Highly rhythmic and danceable rock grooves dominate almost every song here, but it never approaches the level of bombast we heard on Dogsbody. The only switch-ups are the slower numbers “Acid Rain” and “Baton,” which fail to move me in the way the best Model/Actriz moments do.

All that said, though, Pirouette is a portrait of a band living in their artistic vision, unabashedly and unapologetically themselves. As this most contentious Pride month approaches, bands like Model/Actriz are gems to protect, beacons of proud, queer visibility in a world that tries to shove them back in the closet.

Production: 8/10

Lyrics: 8/10

Songwriting: 7/10

Overall: 7.5/10

Favorites: Cinderella, Diva, Departures, Audience

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Thank you for reading! What did you think of this album? Feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts and recommendations.