On April 26, indie band Wallows released their third single of the year, “Bad Dream.”
Sonically, this song is very reminiscent of their earlier hit “These Days” from their 2018 release, “Spring EP.” The instrumentals in each song are similar with some staccato guitar in “Bad Dream” and keyboard in “These Days.” It’s a formula that Wallows follows often, and they always come up with the right answers.
The lyricism of Braeden Lemasters, Dylan Minnette, and Cole Preston hit hard once again in this single. “Bad Dream” tells the story of one side of a new relationship. The narrator remarks that they hold their partner at night and feel them shake and try to stop them from grinding their teeth. They want to protect their new partner from the bad dreams they are having, which can be translated to the narrator wanting to know everything going on in their partner’s head. The partner does not want to be woken up— or, following my previous thought, they do not want to share what they’re thinking.
“Bad Dream” uses the metaphor of having a bad dream to talk about the fear that your partner is no longer as in love as they once were. The narrator says “here we go again” a few times, showing that these fears have confronted them before in other relationships. They also beg the question of, “can you help me understand” what’s inside your head? If the narrator knew their partner’s exact thoughts, their fears might be eased.
This theme is one that mostly everyone who has ever been in a relationship has faced. Wondering if you’re enough, if your partner loves you like you love them, if they’re hiding something from you— all things that are valid to be worried about. Validation and reassurance from your partner makes these feelings subside, and that’s what the narrator of “Bad Dream” needs.
With “Bad Dream” being the third single from Wallows’ anticipated release later in May, a full-length album called “Model,” I can confidently say that this album is going to have no skips.
by Abiageal Filon
May 2, 2024