Manchester’s Pale Waves have enjoyed success since bursting onto the scene with their debut, 2018’s My Mind Makes Noises. Their brand of pop-rock and pop-punk drew comparisons to early Avril Lavigne; the trend continued on their follow-up, 2021’s Who Am I? The following year, they released Unwanted, carving out a sharper, more vengeful sound, aligning more closely with Paramore. Yet while the comparisons obscure originality, it is hard to argue with their success–all of their records thus far have made the top ten on the UK albums charts.
Pale Waves are led by self-described “moody vampire” singer and guitarist Heather Baron-Gracie and rounded out by drummer Ciara Doran, guitarist Hugo SIlvani, and bassist Charlie Wood. On their fourth album, Smitten, it seems like they attempt to shake the Lavigne act by adding synthesizers to the mix. Musically, they achieve that separation; content-wise, the teenage romances and raw emotion prevent Pale Waves from completely shaking the Lavigne association. The album was produced by Lain Berryman (Wolf Alice, Florence the Machine, beabadoobee), and Baron-Gracie wrote most of the songs, along with guitarist Hugo Silvani. Simon Oscroft is credited on several tracks, about half.
Smitten was written over two years between UK and US tour and festival dates–they have toured with some prominent artists, such as the 1975, the Cure, 5 Seconds of Summer, and Muse. For the material, Baron-Gracie found inspiration by reflecting on her early relationships. She was particularly enamored by disillusionment. “When I fall in love, I fall deep, and it’s interesting to me that you can feel so fascinated and smitten with someone, and then they can become a total stranger,” Baron-Gracie says. The songs on Smitten deal with attraction, sexuality, and heartbreak–growing pains all par for the course of life. Baron-Gracie also delves into her queerness, stating in a Rolling Stone article that Smitten is the “most queer album they have ever written”. Essentially, she says it’s a love story between two girls.
Smitten opens with “Glasgow”, a catchy number that tells of a sour departure. Baron-Gracie croons, “When I left you in Glasgow, I remember crying all the way home.” The chorus-soaked guitar strumming and little synth plinks sound suspiciously close to a Cure song (“In Between Days”). On “Gravity”, a track about attraction, Baron-Gracie’s lyrics and melody evoke prime Michelle Branch. “Perfume” is another song that sounds like the Cure with its chorus guitar effect, although the chorus feels more soul-less: “I wanna be your girl, I wanna be your world.”
“Last Train Home” prompts a Kings of Leon resemblance with its spacious drums and soaring guitar line. “Kiss Me Again” is a standout track on Smitten. It’s incredibly catchy, and the subtle and unexpected rhythmic changes make this song rip. The guitar part sounds like something Tom Delonge would have played in an early Blink-182. Despite the opportunistic title of “Miss America”, Barron-Gracie almost ignores it altogether. A title like this could easily ignite a captivating narrative; the song could have been named anything else, and it would still have the same effect.
By the last quarter of Smitten, it is clear that Pale Waves operate on a blueprint: A catchy guitar or synth instrumental opens the song, followed by verses that are sonically clear out of the vocals. Then, the choruses are explosive and anthemic. You can picture a crowd of young girls screaming along, relating to all of those feelings. Notwithstanding the monotony, the album is cohesive, and most of the songs are polished and packaged perfectly for mass consumption; it’s good pop.
If Pale Waves are aiming for originality–which seems unlikely–Smitten misses the mark. Pale Waves sound like another version of Soccer Mommy, riding nostalgia like they were old enough to have lived it. Whether the mimicry is incidental or purposeful, Smitten is another enjoyable record. If Pale Waves wants to sound like Avril Lavigne, the Cure, or the 1975, critics be damned, their approach is successful.