PALE WAVES - UNWANTED
Credit: Kelsi Luck
Matty Healy - unavoidable front man of Dirty Hit's shining star, The 1975, quipped in a recent interview that there is a desire for artists to be "Liberal academics". A notion, somewhat ironically, Healy himself promotes in withering lyricism regarding questions of love in the Twitter age, amidst the constant threat of cancellation in an online sphere.
If Healy and his band are the label's eldest and wisest, then Pale Waves are the angsty middle child - they are temper tantrums made charming personified. A proud problem child, unbothered by liberal academia, simply looking for their share of the spotlight.
For a band who are in all sincerity surely able through a friend of a friend to meet producers, lyricists, visual artists and dealers the world over, Pale Waves seem so...normal? Their lyrics reverberate with young faced old souls as they do with those who feel a stab to the gut when they are reminded they are in fact, no longer 18.
There's a place for everything that Pale Waves encompass on bedroom walls and Spotify playlists of anyone who's ever gone through a shitty break up, or dealt with a pain too old for their youth. They offer escape, that while not life-altering or overly well informed, is comforting in its naivety.
Their third album jolts to apparition with punky, synth heavy 'Lies' - a taster track highlighting what so many of their songs do- breakups hurt, and forgiveness is overrated. It feels lyrically more intimate than past Pale Waves, you get the feeling this one is specific, that whoever it's about will have to grit their teeth through its inevitable radio plays. Track two, the titular 'Unwanted' wouldn't feel out of place in an early 2000s romcom - think Lindsay Lohan, think camo trousers, think chunky red highlights - it is easy to enjoy, because it is wholly uncomplicated, rhythmically and lyrically the band are attempting little that's new here. ‘Unwanted’ sets the tone for the Avril Lavigne-esque album, where at times the similarities can be overt, if not over done, - but in saying that, there are far worse musicians to be compared to.
A moment of clarity amidst the Y2K-ness of it all is track three's ‘The Hard Way’. An honest and bleak snapshot of how it feels to watch a loved one suffer. Heather Baron Gracie's vocals float above gentle guitar, before the track explodes full throttle, a drum line carrying the melody as Baron Gracie verbally exposes her chokehold of regret. The song highlights the pain of what we all know; that hindsight is 2020, more bitter than sweet, and without remorse. A stand out of the album, this is one of their best.
Heading on, tracks four and five offer the usual - frustrated lyrics atop equally frustrated melody. They are fine being what they are - namely, bedroom pop for people who feel too old to still be dancing around their bedroom.
A moment that shows off the Pale Waves upped production value is 'Clean', which, (without overstating how much this album sounds like an early entry in Avril Lavigne's discography), really, really sounds like Avril Lavigne. It's pop goes punk and then pop again. Pale Waves do it well.
Baron Gracie's vocals are audible marmite it seems, with critics either praising her breathy tone or pondering that she sounds uninterested in her subject matter. This review finds that she is best suited to the tempo of sad-pop, such as this album's 'Without You' and 'Numb'. Her voice soothes where her lyrics hurt, a skill, while subjective to the song, is a skill nonetheless.
Catering to their entire audience on 'You're So Vain', the band delve into a sub-sphere of punk - synth meets Charli XCX meets Paramore. It's weird, which is welcome amongst the usual Pale Waves formula.
On 'Reasons To Live', the quartet do what they do best - smash in, fade out, pause, and then jump back in head first. The formula of almost every Pale Waves song, and poetically of almost every relationship the songs are written about. 'Act My Age', does the same. They ask "Where did all the time go?"- it is a young, talented person's recognition of no longer being the youngest, most talented in the room.
Unwanted's final offering is ‘So Sick (Of Missing You)’. It would've fit happily on their first album. It is 2000's antagonistic goth pop, written about naively loving someone, who doesn't love you back. The subject matter of a million sad songs by a million jagged heart artists. It's catchy and sweet and sad, and we've all been there.
This album, in short, feels like the band's previous two, with the heat turned up. There are flashes of brilliance coupled with moments of weakness; favourite songs and definite album tracks. The subject matter is dark and complex, but the end result leaves something to be desired. Hopefully the band will break through on their next album, because they have nothing if not absolute potential.
Hannah Foster
★★★☆☆