Move Over, “Mr Big Shot” is in Town

Today, Wallice has released her highly anticipated EP, Mr Big Shot, via Dirty Hit. Full of heartache, heartthrob, and a striking presence of independence and identity, these songs are sure to be on replay all summer. Wallice has an impressive discography of well written, beautifully composed works. This new release is no exception as she continues to raise the bar for herself.

Mr Big Shot starts strong with “Best Friend,” which opens warm but sulking. Introspective and observant, the connection between Wallice and the song’s subject is tangible. Entering into a rock chorus, she lets emotion rip through and contrasts the more gentle verses. The song, the first single of the album, dances with reservation and excess, feeling too much but doing too little about it, and therefore the sonic balance is quite tastefully produced.

The second single follows up, and “Loser at Best” cuts clean with a straightforward voice through the first verse. Again, it magically branches into a much fuller, more extreme chorus. Wallice has clearly utilized the way she organizes her emotions into every aspect of the song and the making of it. Self-aware and wailing, she is relatable, and it is empowering to listen to someone sing their desires without shame. Wallice unabashedly offers up her love, woven with how painful that can be. With a crackling synth outro, the listener is left impacted by “Loser at Best.”

The third track, “Quarterlife,” bounces right into the first verse, catchy and warranting close attention. The drums bump like a purposeful walk, breaking into something even brighter for the chorus. This song is witty and thoughtful, calling back to the EP’s title within the verse.

“In one ear I’m Mr. Big Shot, out the other without a second thought”

Wallice, “Quarterlife”

“Prepaid Wireless” hones in on a rich guitar rhythm, cradling the melancholy of the track and allowing it to move forward. Right before the chorus, all but her vocals stop, and she has a raw moment of vulnerability. The chorus comes in like a tidal wave, a drastic change from the previous moments, timed perfectly and in style with the rest of the body of work. Wallice’s lyrics are full of feeling lost, yet her voice and story come through unbelievably grounded.

“Why Do You Love Me?” does what is hardest to hold back from: asking questions that one may not be in the position to be asking. One can tell this song, another epic, supernatural rock ballad, comes from a deeply real place, because there’s a layer of anger to Wallice’s voice. Because there is anger in grief, in desires that go unspoken. She brought that to life with a vigorous voice and driving guitar, expelling a powerful message and spirit.

The final track, which she released most recently, “disappear” lets loose, She has fun with flaws and expectations because really, they’re a joke. Electric guitar and a soft drum beat open, and when the keyboard joins, the buildup truly begins. “disappear”’s chorus is funky and pulsating. Synth-toned brass and saxophone riff behind the second verse, and a robotic voice spells the letters “d-i-s-a-p-p-e-a-r” like a cheerleading routine until the end of the song. Embracing a sonic maximalism, this song emits joy in our true skin.