Pale Waves
Smitten LP
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Pale Waves assaulted us with a flurry of stunning singles before giving us Smitten, so there was a risk that we had heard all the best songs. The album, though, had more to offer, including my favourite track.
Now, I think the band has been smart. It’s their fourth album and it’s the first time they’ve cut close to their debut, My Mind Makes Noises. Taking a creative detour means we know they have many facets, but this record feels like a homecoming in many ways.
That’s not to say it’s a recreation of the original sound and style. It’s closer in terms of feel, but there are many changes. You don’t reach four-albums-old without learning and growing.
Of the seven tracks over and above the singles, they all deliver. Who doesn’t like an album with twelve tracks, any of which could be a single? The lyrical wit of ‘Not a Love Song’, the sway of ‘Last Train Home’, and the melancholy of ‘Miss America’ all present songs that could have been pre-release tasters for the album. The swirl of ‘Imagination’ and the rich ‘Slow’, likewise.
But there are two songs, both in the final third, that landed hard with me. ‘Hate to Hurt You’ is a shimmering beauty of a song with heartfelt sad words. It’s impossible not to love the huge pop chorus on this song.
‘Hate to Hurt You’ was the last track that we wrote for Smitten. A lot of the songs are quite yearning and heartfelt. I love that kind of music. That’s what I listen to the most. But I felt like we had to give people a moment where they could dance. It’s about a situation where I want to leave, but I feel awful doing so. I’m kind of pushing and pulling: I don’t want to be here anymore. I’m looking at other people, but I respect you as person and I don’t want to upset you. I don’t want to cause you harm, but I’m causing you harm by staying in this longer than necessary.
Heather Baron-Gracie
But the song that is the top track for me is ‘Seeing Stars’, a sparkling song with an awesome rhythm to it, culminating in a chorus that’s knockout brilliant.
She hit me so hard, I was seeing stars
Caught me off guard, I could barely talk
Yeah, she hit me so hard, kissing every scar
Played me so good like an old guitar
Listen to Pale Waves – ‘Seeing Stars’.
This album is wall-to-wall greatness. I’ve spent a whole week making sure this is true before posting and it really is.
Smitten Track Listing
- Gravity
- Not a Love Song
- Gravity
- Thinking About You
- Perfume
- Last Train Home
- Kiss Me Again
- Miss America
- Hate to Hurt You
- Seeing Stars
- Imagination
- Slow
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