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Role Model's Chuck Timely & the Hourglass album review his most vulnerable yet

OPINION: Role Model is entering a new chapter with his third album, a film debut and major tour plans but his latest record also hints at a new muse in Dakota Johnson

[Role Model's new album]

Role Model's new album(Image: rolemodel/Instagram)

Not many artists have accumulated quite as many aliases as Tucker Pillsbury. But of all his various nicknames, he is best known by his stage name, Role Model.

Last Friday (August 7), the singer released his third studio album, Chuck Timely & the Hourglass, and he's already looking ahead to his next chapter, with plans to tour the UK in summer 2027.

The tour will come at the end of a major European run, with shows in Berlin, Amsterdam, Brussels, Dusseldorf and Paris. It will also follow his appearance at Reading & Leeds Festival this summer. And as if releasing an album and planning a huge tour wasn't enough, Pillsbury is also preparing for his film debut opposite Natalie Portman in Lena Dunham's Good Sex. Clearly, he's keeping busy.

[Role Model]

He is proud of his latest work(Image: rolemodel/Instagram)

Pillsbury's music spans a mixture of genres, including pop, country, Americana and soul. However, he has repeatedly stressed that he doesn't want to be confined to one particular musical category.

In a recent Rolling Stone interview, he said: "I just don't want to be in that race, cause I'm not trying to be a pop star."

That genre-blending approach is particularly clear on his latest album.

Pillsbury previously dated influencer Emma Chamberlain from 2020 until their split in 2023, with their relationship providing inspiration for his previous album, Kansas Anymore. He has since been romantically linked to actress Dakota Johnson, with the pair first linked in late 2025. Johnson also features on Chuck Timely & the Hourglass, making their romance an interesting backdrop to his latest record.

The album opens with Chuck's Mantra, a quiet and soulful introduction in which Tucker sets out his desire for something genuine and real. It immediately establishes the album's relationship with love and sets the tone for what follows.

It's then followed by his first single, High Hopes 3000, built around clunky piano chords and his distinctive raspy vocals. The track is self-deprecating but also filled with a sense of blind optimism that makes it difficult not to smile.

The fourth track, Love I Do, is one of my personal favourites.

The song explores learning how to commit and properly invest in a relationship, while being packed with charisma and humour. Dakota Johnson, best known for her role in Fifty Shades of Grey and her former long-term relationship with Coldplay singer Chris Martin, features on the track.

[Role Model]

His new album is out now(Image: rolemodel/Instagram)

The pair have a compelling back-and-forth during the bridge, with Role Model later saying Johnson "knocked it out better than we could have ever imagined".

The album's second single, Joy, is what Role Model describes as a "cocktail song". On the surface, it sounds deceptively happy, but underneath lies a much more emotional and darker message about how joy can become harder to hold onto as you grow older.

While Joy isn't one of my favourites, I respect Pillsbury's willingness to experiment with his sound.

And although I love the happier songs on the record, I think the album's most effective moments come during its slower and more vulnerable tracks.

My personal favourites are Honeydew and The Wedding, both of which have an undeniable ability to pull at your heartstrings.

Overall, Chuck Timely & the Hourglass feels like an exciting next step for Role Model. It's honest, funny, emotional and, most importantly, doesn't seem afraid to experiment.

I highly recommend giving it a listen. Chuck Timely & the Hourglass is available to stream on Amazon Music, Apple Music and Spotify.

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