Wallows - "Scrawny" Music Video Review
Just hours after their latest album release ‘Nothing Happens’, indie-rock sensation Wallows dropped their new music video for “Scrawny”. Though the track has only been out for just over a month, the response from fans has been incredible, having the song be the #2 most played on their album. Due to the track being out for almost a month before the video’s premiere, the sheer build up and excitement to finally witness a video accompaniment was palpable.
Opening with a visual that might seem derived from a well-known 80s film, lead singer Dylan Minnette channels his inner boxer by punching his gloves together to the opening drum beat. Following their departure from the locker room, Wallows ventures into the crowd, and get sense of the hype surrounding their future endeavor. Despite not being in any way ‘scrawny’, Minnette, when faced up against his larger than life opponent, who just might be twice the size if not more than himself and covered in tattoos, gets quite the reality check in the ring. Even though there isn’t much fighting on his end, Dylan’s dance moves might just be the highlight of the entire video, while he simultaneously sings along to the track.
While Minnette acts as the groups ‘Rocky’, bassist Braeden Lemasters and drummer Cole Preston serve as his mentors by continually encouraging him to keep fighting, while providing words of encouragement. Although the video centers heavily around the boxing match, it contains several cutaways to performance sequences of the band in what looks to be some kind of decked out photo set. The letters “S, M, F” appear in large red painted letters behind the band while they perform in 2000’s-esque red and white matching tracksuits, embroidered with the words ‘Wallows’ and ‘Nothing Happens’. Though towards the end of the video things seem to be looking up for Minnette in the ring, within the last 7 seconds of the video, he is defeated with a punch to the face from his opponent.
Although “Scrawny” has a very light and comedic air around it through the creative direction of the music video, the lyrics are really what shine the most. The line “I’d switch it up but I don’t like change. Only content if things stay the same.”, provide quite the insight to the current trials and tribulations of the indie-rock/pop scene. There are countless bands that are fronted by white cis males who want the scene to stay that way, while not providing much (if any) support to the less amount of, but definitely not talent-shy groups comprised of those in the lgbt+ community, non-males and/or people of color. The track goes on to say “ I say the wrong s***t at the right times, if I’m offending them I don’t mind. Maybe they all should listen to me, it isn’t all about what you see.” Just continues to harp on the fact that the scene itself needs to become more inclusive, especially with its view on representation, and therefore pokes a bit of fun at past figureheads of the indie music world. Through the song, Wallows seem to be quite comical but also trying to send an important message that needs to be heard.
