Album review: Pale Waves – Smitten
Pale Waves lose themselves in romantic daydreams – and find a stronger sound at the same time – on gooey fourth album Smitten…
Forget Valentine’s Day – there’s an argument that autumn’s the most romantic time of year. There’s a reason it’s sometimes known as ‘cuffing season’, where singles go on the hunt for someone whose hoodie, duvet and body heat they can steal in the colder months.
In that regard, Pale Waves are dropping their fourth album with apt timing. The fizzing feelings of infatuation have long coloured their music, but this time around they’re embracing a subject that’s almost been their calling card without them realising. If LGBTQ+ graphic novel and Netflix series Heartstopper was written about two queer goth girls falling in love, this would be its soundtrack.
One of the best things about Smitten, however, is that the Manchester quartet have found a way to own their individuality. Gone is the slightly sickly Avril Lavigne worship of 2021’s Who Am I? and 2022’s Unwanted, replaced by a velvety, dreamy alt. pop sound that feels both more natural and more distinct, even if it is occasionally a little simplistic.
Opener Glasgow bursts into life with skittish drums and bending guitar riffs, glistening with just the right blend of brightness and wistful thinking, while the hazy Imagination gets real about the distinctions between romantic fantasies and the not-so-shiny realities. Elsewhere, Hate To Hurt You introduces a little more nuance into an album largely preoccupied with the flush of new love, finding singer Heather Baron-Gracie warring with the guilt of preparing to break someone else’s heart.
For the most part, this is not an album for cynics, the recently heartbroken or anyone without the stomach to tolerate a bit of mush. It's a record as sweet as 20 pumpkin spice lattes, with Gravity ('She keeps pulling me like gravity, everywhere she goes') and Perfume ('I wanna make you my girl / I wanna make you my world') sticking out as notable offenders, while the equally syrupy Kiss Me Again is also a little boilerplate.
That said, it’s all rather endearing, especially for those who relate enough to the sentiment to be swept up by it. Their evolution is commendable too – this time, it feels like they’ve found the right path.
Verdict: 3/5
For fans of: beebadoobee, Crawlers, The 1975
Smitten is released on September 27 via Dirty Hit