Pale Waves

Who Am I?

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Genre: Indie Rock, Pop Rock.
Released: 12/02/2021
Via Dirty Hit

Album Review: Pale Waves – Who Am I?

Pale Waves are back with ‘Who Am I?’. The indie-rock quartet has captured the hearts of many with its unique sound and charisma. The album has garnered a lot of attention including debuting at number 3 on the official UK album charts. An incredible feat for the band’s second album! With the mass amount of media attention for the Manchester rockers, I thought it was only right I checked out what all the noise was about. Here are my thoughts on the bands latest album.

As someone who is in truth quite unfamiliar with indie rock, I must admit ‘Change’ eased a lot of my worries going into this. A catchy song with a clear and definitive meaning makes for a good opening to the album. Heather Baron-Gracie has the type of voice that reminds me of artists like Avril Lavigne which impressed me right off the bat. The simple riffs and melodies work well with the feel the band are going for and nothing feels out of place. A great start and an even better first impression! ‘Fall to Pieces’ is up next with a more anthem esc feel behind it. Smooth, subtle drumming from Ciára Louise Doran helps the song to flow smoothly from the timid sections to the more impactful parts. So far, so good.

‘She’s My Religion’ shifts the tone to a more melancholy feel. A powerful song based on strong feelings captures the raw emotion many can find when it comes to a significant other. Heather’s vocal delivery makes the song hit that much harder. The emotion she garners in her voice is clear and impactful on the listener. An impressive start to the album from Pale Waves. A more energetic feel is found from ‘Easy’. Unfortunately, the song sounds like a slightly generic indie song. Nothing pops out to make the song feel special and it suffers from being a bit too simplistic. It a disappointing turn from a really strong start.

Continuing down the album brings me to ‘Wish U Were Here’. The song sounds like a well-composed piece of music and I’m sure fans of the genre would have a better appreciation for this one however it didn’t do much for me. The song felt like it was over just as quickly as it started without really leaving a mark on me. Following that is ‘Tomorrow’, an upbeat tune with an awesome message of hope and purpose. The lyric “Ben, I know that you love a boy Sexuality isn’t a choice Don’t let anyone say it’s wrong” particularly stood out for me. I think it’s an incredible message to have in a song that will teach the younger generation of music fans that there is nothing wrong with how you identify. As for the song as a whole, it remains fresh in my head after listening to it and has great replayability. A standout song if I’ve ever heard one!

The electro esc song ‘You Don’t Know Me’ is a nice contrast from what has been shown on the record thus far. The use of the electric sounding kit adds an element of progression to the bands sound that pushes the boundaries of what you’d expect from them. A well-executed shift in sound gifts the album a breath of fresh air! ‘I Just Needed You’ dials it back for a more raw feeling. Hugo Silvani’s guitar parts stand out during this song. An intricate blend of delicate licks and meaningful melody demonstrates his ability to elevate a song to the next level. An impressive song that I highly recommend giving a spin.

Nearing the end of the album I was greeted with the predominantly acoustic song ‘Odd One’s Out’. On first listen I wasn’t that sold on the track however the more I heard it, the more I could appreciate it. A powerful message about it being ok to be different mixed with a unique blend of instrumental styles creates a unique listening experience, to say the least. I feel that the song shouldn’t work and probably wouldn’t work if it was performed by another band however Pale Waves seem to have a great musical ear and appreciation that allowed them to create such a unique song.

The penultimate song ‘Run To’ is here and it’s hoping that you’ll be dancing along to it. An infectious beat accompanied by a catchy chorus is a recipe for success. Mix the themes of mental health into the song and you have a song that captures Pale Waves sound perfectly. A great way to build up the finale of the album. Speaking of which, ‘Who Am I?’ marks the end of the album. A meaningful and powerful journey down the emotions many will find themselves going through highlights a huge emphasis on mental health once again. Pale Waves are clearly huge advocates for mental health awareness and this song perfectly captures the types of thoughts people may experience when suffering from depression. An extremely touching and emotional ending to the album.

Overall, I think Pale Waves have released a really good album for fans of the genre and even have the capability of broadening into a more mainstream market. The band continue to grow stronger musically with each release and are a huge prospect for the British music scene. I am a huge fan of how much they include messages that show support to the LGBTQ+ community and how they address very serious and sometimes undermined issues in regards to mental health. The future looks extremely bright for the young band based in Manchester and I look forward to seeing how they develop over time.