Brooklyn’s own post-punk provocateurs Model/Actriz returned back to us May 3rd with their new album Pirouette (True Panther Records), the feverishly anticipated follow-up to their blistering 2023 debut, Dogsbody. Known for their physical, feral live shows and vocalist Cole Haden’s magnetic, almost confrontational presence, Model/Actriz are here to twist the knife even deeper—dance or die.
The first time I became aware of Model/Actriz was in 2017 when I was invited to see another friend’s new band at the Hi- Hat in Highland Park. I missed my friends’ band but I did NOT miss Model/Actriz. I knew, then and there that we had something special here and ever since then, the bands’ first EP- “NO” has become a classic in my catalog.
related: The Next Wave of Sound- Model/Actriz at The Hi Hat
While their follow up EP, AVA did not hit as hard for me, it served as a laboratory for their first full length 2023 release- Dogsbody. Where Dogsbody introduced the band’s vicious fusion of noise rock, industrial grooves, and sweaty club tension, Pirouette sharpens their edge without losing any of the body-moving chaos. Produced with a tighter, cleaner mix that never loses its grit, the record still slithers and screams with the same dirty glamour we’ve come to expect. Also, Haden’s monotone, bad dad on the verge of violence style vocal’s have evolved into hook’s with catchty melodies that don’t sacrifice the intensity so many bands let go of to capture a bigger audience.
After my first listen to Pirouette, I sampled some of the imagery in the video for “Diva”- a kaleidoscope of color and blurred gender lines is the backdrop to this musical mantra. “Cinderella” is capable of achieving hypnosis or psychosis with what I would epitomize as the track most reflective of the trademark sound Model/Actriz are creating, with the signature deadening harmonics present in the first Model/Actriz song I fell in love with off their first EP- “Liar”.
But Pirouette isn’t just an album—it’s a declaration of intent. It’s a cooling of the crust after final formation. A country to stand on. But Model/Actriz aren’t interested in playing it safe or fitting into tidy genre boxes. They’re building their own mythology, one sweat-drenched show and unhinged breakdown at a time.
If you’re into No Wave bands like, Liars, or the feeling of being pushed into a wall at a basement show in 2009, Pirouette is your next obsession. Secure it now and prepare to be pulverized in the most cathartic way possible.
Words: Danny Baraz
Photos: Cameron Pagett and Taylor Wong
