On February 19th, Wallows released the deluxe version of their 2nd EP, Remote. The news of the EP was announced on their social media. The band also said that the songs were made during the process of Remote, but they were being finished in quarantine and are now being released.

On New Music Daily (from Apple Music), Dylan Minnette says, “We decided that it doesn’t fit enough with the rest of the songs and so, by the time Remote came out we were just like, ‘Well I feel like these songs we started, including “Quarterback” aren’t necessarily going to work on the next album and what’s the point of holding things back?’” 

The deluxe version consists of 5 other songs besides the original 6. 

Track #7: “On Time”

This song marks the 2nd time their drummer, Cole Preston leads the group with his vocals. The first time was a cover of The Beatles’ song “With A Little Help From My Friends.” The beginning of the song feels like an echo, a recall. Preston really surprised me with his vocals and his ability to put so much emotion while he sings. The entire song has this vibe of looking back on memories. The beginning lyrics talk about how saying ‘I love you’ doesn’t mean anything to him and their partner was right, though it’s sad to realize the meaning has been lost. 

Track #8: “Quarterback”

Accompanied by a music video, this song was released as a single on February 15th. Because this song was released ahead of the others, we saw Preston trending as fans finally got what they wished for, him leading a song. As soon as the song began, it immediately reminded me of their song “Virtual Aerobics” because of the beat. Preston’s vocals really surprised me but I loved how he led the song. As the chorus hits, his voice gets louder and it sort of intensifies the song and feel, it made me like he was expressing his emotions. 

“I guess you can say I’m feeling like nervous about it. I think this for me, within the band, is definitely stepping out of my comfort zone cause I’m usually, at least, when we play live, sitting in the back playing drums…so I’m not really standing, talking to the crowd. This is like, singing, it feels like totally vulnerable and new and I feel like I can understand what they [Minette and Lemasters] kind of feel all the time,” says Preston on New Music Daily.

Track #9: “Another Story”- My Favorite Song

The song begins with a lonely instrument, and it immediately captured my attention. The song was slower compared to the rest, it was less upbeat yet it didn’t drag down the rest of the songs with its downcast feel. Lemasters begins the song slowly as well and it feels melancholy. The lyrics reminisce on the past and that is definitely felt when hearing the song. Lemasters is also singing in a higher pitch which I honestly love. It doesn’t sound like him, and it blew my mind because his voice helps him give a different mood to this song- I can almost feel his despair. 

Track #10: “OK (Remix)”

The remix of the song features Solomonphonic and Remi Wolf, who was a college roommate to Preston. I usually do not like remixes as I personally can never stop comparing them to the original so this song sort of surprised me. When listening to it, it felt like a different experience. It was faster than the original, it took away from the calmness of the song. I did like Wolf’s vocals and lyrics that were added to the song. 

Track#11: “OK”

First released in 2020, the song was later followed by a music video. The music video is part of a three-part trilogy alongside “Nobody Get Me (Like You)” and “Wish Me Luck.” The song starts off with a catchy beat and then Minnette enters. His voice sounds calm and refreshing as he keeps going. When he begins to hit the higher notes, we can hear as he slowly goes up and kind of has that struggle to it. One of my favorite parts of the song is the bridge, and the effects used on Minnette’s voice are enjoyable. The slowing down and the effects used make it memorable and easy to sing along to. 

All in all, I did enjoy the new songs added to the EP and I do believe that they were better released in the deluxe version rather than the original. The EP is roughly 30 minutes and can be heard in one sitting as it does flow nicely. It’s calming and can always be played as background music or even to get you into your feels. I recommend the EP and the band as they are always trying to change up and explore new sounds.