ROLE MODEL, oh, how perfect (EP) | Album Review 💿

Rising pop singer/songwriter ROLE MODEL (Tucker Pillsbury), is incredibly honest and relatable on his EP, oh, how perfect.

Ah, there’s a name you need to know if you don’t already – Tucker Pillsbury. The rising singer/songwriter is better known by the name ROLE MODEL.  After compiling the playlist 11 Thankful Songs to Show Gratitude For, Pillsbury entered onto my radar, specifically with the song “thank you for coming” (more about that later).  The matters he sings about throughout his EP, oh, how perfect, is incredibly honest and relatable. He doesn’t mask or sugarcoat his emotions, offering listeners a clear, unobstructed view into his life, mind, and of course, romantic endeavors and lack thereof.

“gucci chair” 

Oh, how perfect commences in moody fashion – understatement.  “Put your hands ‘round my neck / Skin is rough like the sex,” ROLE MODEL sings on the opening lines of verse from ✓ “gucci chair.” He continues, “One day I’m a mess / And the next day I’m the best.”  Pillsbury’s candidness and honesty regarding his feelings is one of the selling points of the opener.  It also doesn’t hurt that this is a gorgeous ballad, further accentuated by production work (Benjamin Miller) that adds lush strings amplifying the singer’s expressive vocals.

✓ 🤩“Hello!” also thrives in the production department, this time with more optimistic production by Miller.  ROLE MODEL projects more vocally here, embracing the spiritedness of this ‘greeting’ song. Once more, Pillsbury references sex: “I like the way my bedsheets look on your body / Tripping off molly with your hand on my throat.”  Of course, the ‘tortured’ element comes into play throughout, whether it’s “To find someone who cares is getting harder to find” (verse one) or “Not really the type that your momma would like / Can barely handle myself.” Pillsbury’s pain is definitely the listener’s pleasure.  Schadenfreude? Maybe.

“that’s just how it goes”

Honestly continues to be the best policy for ROLE MODEL on “That’s just how it goes.” With the relationship kaput, Pillsbury lays out the ‘post-relationship’ clearly.  On the pre-chorus of this major-key joint, he sings:

“You’ll sleep with friends of mine
I’ll sleep with people I don’t like
And I’ll always wanna call
But you won’t wanna waste your time
I’ll see you in the street
And you’ll try not to look at me
And I’ll miss how it used to be.”

Ultimately, he speaks the truth and “That’s just how it goes.” It’s pessimistic mind you, particularly on the bridge as Pillsbury states “…Every flame has the same sad ending,” but the contrast between the happier backdrop (produced by Alexander 23) and heartbroken lyrics is awesome.

✓ “Notice me” brings Benjamin Miller back into the producer’s chair, co-producing with Happy Perez. Additionally, BENEE appears as the featured guest, providing vocal contrast on the second verse, and singing with ROLE MODEL on the remaining choruses.  Like previous songs, Pillsbury continues to be an open book: “Talk dirty, you got your hand in my jeans /… Mm, yeah, keep moaning, ‘cause we’re making a scene.” It leads to one of the most memorable choruses of the project, where Pillsbury is thrilled to have her attention – “Damn, can’t believe you notice me, notice me.” Very telling is the bridge, where Pillsbury sings, “Always had bad luck, never got this far.”

“say it first”

“Always been one for / Biting my tongue ‘til / Blood starts to fill my mouth.” Whoa.  There’s also the beginning of the second verse, where ROLE MODEL sings, “Let’s pop some champagne / And rip off the band-aid / It’s easy when we’re fucked up.” Wow! Penultimate cut “say it first” continues the depressed, brutally honest sensibilities of oh, how perfect, which doesn’t exemplify perfection in the least.  Pillsbury is totally in his feelings and once more, his pain is our listening pleasure.

“Thank you all for coming / I’d be nothing without you / Don’t tell yourself you’re sorry / ‘Cause it’s hardly ever true.”  Have truer words ever been spoken? ROLE MODEL reflects on the past – adversities that have greatly affect him on the closer, ✓ “thank you for coming.”  Unsurprisingly, it’s people who serve as the adversaries: “I made friends / With some kids who used to hate me / ‘Cause they’re the ones who made me / Exactly who I am.”

Wow.  The second verse offers even more:

“One last dance with the girl who’s way too good for me
‘Cause somehow it felt good to me
You notice who I am.”

Once again, tortured, tortured soul.  That said, what ROLE MODEL sings about is incredibly relatable.  Among his best moments is the bridge, where he flips the script on “Sticks and stones may break my bones,” ending it with, “But words just make me stronger.” In addition to the great songwriting, relatable and thoughtful messaging, and superb, emotional vocals by Pillsbury, the production is pretty sweet as well.  Initially simple, led by guitar, it grows more expansive as “Thank You for Coming” progresses.

Final Thoughts 

As I emphasized at the beginning of this review, if you haven’t checked out ROLE MODEL/Tucker Pillsbury, you need to get on that! What makes oh, how perfect the bop that it is as an EP is the sheer honesty.  This is a relatable effort and Pillsbury doesn’t sugarcoat anything.  In a world where bullshit runs abundant, Pillsbury seems to eschew it in favor of the real thing.

✓ Gems: “gucci chair,”  🤩“hello!”, “notice me” & “thank you for coming”

ROLE MODEL • oh, how perfect (EP) • Interscope • Release: 11.13.19

Photo Credit: Interscope