Tucker Pillsbury, the artist widely known as Role Model, has never been one to shy away from a bit of performance. On his latest studio album, Chuck Timely & The Hourglass, he fully commits to a new persona: a time-traveling session musician named Chuck Timely. This isn’t his first foray into character work; during the promotion of 2024’s Kansas Anymore, he maintained the social media presence of a crass, fictional imposter named Saint Laurent Cowboy. However, this new project aims for something more melodic, if not entirely convincing.
Pillsbury has built his career on a blend of inoffensive music and a “chronically online” energy that balances bravado with a softboy aesthetic. His breakout success, “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out,” solidified his transition from lo-fi bedroom pop into the crunchier, more organic realms of folk and country. For this record, he draws inspiration from classic, album-oriented artists like Bruce Hornsby and Don Henley, marking a departure from earlier influences such as Mac Miller and Kacey Musgraves.
A Shift in Sound and Persona
To capture the desired sound, Pillsbury enlisted guitarist Mason Stoops and keyboardist Taylor Mackall, both known for their work with Lizzy McAlpine. The resulting production evokes an antique honky-tonk atmosphere, complete with saloon-style piano and boot-scooting rhythms. Throughout the album, Pillsbury plays the role of a hopeful barfly, navigating romantic entanglements that often end prematurely, frequently fueled by alcohol and fleeting connections.
Tracks like “Song Is All You Get” and “Love I You”—the latter featuring a spoken-word bridge from his partner, Dakota Johnson—lean heavily into this retro-country aesthetic. While the songwriting shows significant growth compared to his earlier work, the “roadhouse” schtick occasionally feels like a costume rather than a natural evolution. Songs like “High Hopes 3000” demonstrate his ability to craft a catchy singalong, but other tracks, such as “Joy” and “Honeydew,” struggle to find the grit required to make the genre-bending feel authentic.
Finding Harmony in the Performance
Despite the self-conscious nature of the “Chuck Timely” concept, the album remains an enjoyable listen. Pillsbury’s songwriting has matured, moving away from the clichés of his earlier “stripclub music” toward more nuanced, scene-setting narratives like “The Wedding.” The standout track, “Service Receipt,” captures him at his best: self-deprecating, witty, and vocally expressive.
Ultimately, Chuck Timely & The Hourglass is a fun, if slightly over-conceptualized, project. Pillsbury is clearly having a good time, and his charisma carries the album through its weaker moments. As he sings on the closing track, “Harmony,” he is ready to let his walls come down. One can only hope that for his next project, he feels confident enough to drop the character and simply be himself.