Pale Waves – All the Things I Never Said (E.P) – 16/03/18
5/10
‘All the Things I Never Said’ is the debut EP from Manchester based indie pop group, Pale Waves. Since the band was founded at university in 2014, Pale Waves have rapidly earned themselves a following. 2017 saw the four support The 1975 on North American and European tours, and 2018 has already seen them claim an NME award as their own.
Their EP (released on March 16th) is filled with breezy pop riffs and founding member Heather Baron-Gracie’s honey-sweet vocals, which certainly capture interest. Despite all the excitement surrounding this release, there’s little evidence that the hype should be believed. The overall feel of the EP is neither here nor there; Pale Waves’ basslines bridge the gap between pop and rock, yet there is little variance in any other aspects of the music.
The lyrical content of ‘New Year’s Eve’ is certainly the focal point of the track, layered over a solid rhythm section and airy synths. There’s no denying that the bridge of this song is interesting: stripping back to a dull bass and echoing vocals certainly captures attention, but it does cause the chorus and sparkly synths that feature predominantly in the rest of the song to feel average in comparison.
This trend continues throughout the EP, with ‘My Obsession’ opening at a slower pace before it breaks into a somewhat groovy chorus. Pale Waves are clearly inspired by an abundance of different artists and musicians, which is perhaps the reason behind their sound and style not being concreted in one genre.
Clever musicianship is something that features on ‘All the Things I Never Said’, but it’s rarely shown and is difficult to hear. Pale Waves are a band that have the ability to write a pop song that ticks boxes with a catchy chorus and riffs played with an air of indifference, but for a new band with as many fans and as much support as they have, we expected Pale Waves to create something much more than this.
Review: Dottie Giles
