If Pale Waves’ last album Unwanted (2022) was a collection of dark, vindictive pop-punk bangers, 2024’s Smitten sees the band completely flip the script in favour of a collection of twelve sparkly, glittery tracks that lean closer to The Cranberries than The Cure.
The comparison between Pale Waves and The Cranberries goes beyond the bands’ sounds. For example, on the lead single ‘Perfume’, Pale Waves vocalist Heather Baron-Gracie takes cues from the late Cranberries singer Dolores O’Riordan in her swooping, lilting vocal delivery. “My mother says when I love something, I never let it go”. Cranberries comparisons aside, ‘Perfume’ is an excellent track and a shining showcase of the band’s growth. Its lyrics are deliciously dark and dripping with obsession and desire, and they contrast beautifully with Pale Waves’ new lush pop sound – not to mention ‘Perfume’ is an undeniable earworm.
Smitten feels inspired by Pale Waves
Another standout track is ‘Seeing Stars’, one of the heavier tracks on the album. Its big, anthemic choruses and twinkly touches are a surefire sign the band is aiming for arena-sized greatness. Beyond these tracks (and a handful of others, including the deceptively cheerful ‘Glasgow’ and lovesick ‘Gravity’), however, the rest of the album falls short of the same spark.
Similarly, while the band dips their toe into this new sound, they fail to commit fully. With more experimentation and risk-taking, Smitten could have signified an exciting new chapter for the band. Instead, it sometimes feels too similar to what has come before. In fact, if Pale Waves’ earlier material is inspired by The Cure and The Cranberries, Smitten feels inspired by Pale Waves. For example, ‘Miss America’ and ‘Hate To Hurt You’ are cookie-cutter Pale Waves songs without the strong melodies of tracks from, say, 2018’s My Mind Makes Noises or the punchiness of Who Am I? (2021).
Smitten has a lot going for it – its production is stellar, Baron Gracie’s vocals are at their best, and their new, polished sound fits them like a glove.
This aside, the years of experience the band now have do not go unnoticed – Baron Gracie’s vocals are stronger than ever, with her soaring voice in the chorus to ‘Last Train Home’ making for one of the strongest moments in Pale Waves’ repertoire. On the same note, her matured vocals add new weight to their lyrics, even though they can still verge on overly sentimental on occasion: “She’s pulling me in, like gravity, everywhere she goes” (‘Gravity’) and “Just come on and kiss me, again” (‘Kiss Me Again’). But if you let yourself get swept up in the syrupy goodness, you’ll realise that Pale Waves are actually quite fun.
However, where Smitten truly shines is in its production. With jangly pop hooks, twinkling synths, and dashes of string arrangements, the album is meticulously crafted, and the layering of instruments is unequivocally brilliant. ‘Seeing Stars’ is one example: the guitar solo is rich and the string arrangement that weaves in and out of the main composition makes you wonder why Pale Waves hasn’t experimented more with different sounds and instruments before. Unfortunately, the album’s production isn’t quite enough to bolster the occasionally lacklustre melodies.
Smitten has a lot going for it – its production is stellar, Baron Gracie’s vocals are at their best, and their new, polished sound fits them like a glove. But if Pale Waves want to achieve the high expectations they are setting for themselves, they’ll need to continue pushing themselves and explore new directions, whatever these may be.
Recommended listening: ‘Perfume’
Words: Sophie Flint Vázquez
TrueStyleMusic 