Role Model – Chuck Timely & The Hourglass

Role Model (Tucker Pillsbury) returns with his highly anticipated third studio album, Chuck Timely & the Hourglass – a project that feels like an ode to both his old music and newer sound, marking a smooth transition into his next era. Facing subjects of vulnerability and emotional openness, Pillsbury invites listeners on a journey never taken before. Even the artwork hints at its themes, with Pillsbury drinking a beer solo beside a newly married couple, who appear to be judging him from a distance. It is a simple but effective visual representation of the album’s exploration of being on the outside looking in.

As expected, the project encounters Pillsbury’s signature upbeat, get-up-and-dance energy. Tracks such as High Hopes 3000 demonstrate his ability to package heavier emotions inside songs that remain effortlessly fun to listen to. He continues this throughout, yet ventures towards greater vulnerability in Honeydew and Good Thing – the latter captures the uncertainty of becoming close to someone while questioning whether this is an emotional intimacy one would be capable of. There is a recurring tension between wanting connection and being unsure of what comes with it, giving the record much of its sentimental weight.

Sonically, there is some cunning craftiness, including opening number Chuck’s Mantra. At just 90 seconds, it manages an unexpectedly effective introduction to the overarching motif. Beginning with Pillsbury’s solo vocals, it creates an intimate sense of isolation, before a choir joins midway through, creating a symbolic shift: loneliness giving way to the love, friendship and connection that exist beyond it.

The standout track is The Wedding. Its storytelling paints a highly detailed scene that allows the artist’s candour to unfold naturally. Rather than telling listeners directly how he feels, Pillsbury crafts a world around the feelings, making for a compelling moment.

Another highlight comes from Joy, an interesting number that pairs a deceptively cheerful melody with a considerably painful matter: the absence of the song’s namesake. The cleverness of the contrast is quintessentially Role Model.

Overall, Chuck Timely & the Hourglass is a strong and emotionally diverse third album. It moves comfortably between hardness and softness, loneliness and connection, humour and heartbreak, without ever feeling disjointed. Most importantly, it demonstrates the range of Role Model’s artistry: he leaves fans wanting to dance one minute and sit with a difficult feeling the next. The record feels like a natural progression from the folk-tinged, lyrically driven Kansas Anymore, while pushing Pillsbury further into his own version of modern pop. A thoroughly enjoyable listen, and a promising introduction to whatever comes next for the rising artist.

Emily Downie
Image: Courtesy of Role Model

Chuck Timely & The Hourglass is released on 7^th August 2026. For further information or to order the album, visit Role Model’s website here.

Watch the video for Joy here: