Pale Waves’ sophomore album ‘Who Am I?‘ is a masterclass in creating catchy pop-rock with a bite, although it stumbles lyrically in the ballads.
The Manchester band (comprised of Heather Baron-Gracie, Ciara Doran, Hugo Silvani and Charlie Wood) have stepped away from their synth-pop debut – both in terms of their sound and lyrics. It’s still recognisably Pale Waves, though – vocalist and lead guitarist Heather Baron-Gracie’s voice is unmistakable, and adds an irresistible hint of melancholy to even the happiest tunes.
It feels more self-assured than My Mind Makes Noises, which skated around gendering the songs’ subjects and mentioning sex. Who Am I? is defiantly open. However, in the slower songs, that self-assurance can’t quite carry thin lyrics – Pale Waves are best when they have killer hooks and riffs.
The opener ‘Change’ was the lead single, and is exactly what you want and expect with cover art so reminiscent of Avril Lavigne’s Let Go. However, unlike Avril Lavigne, it has decidedly un-PG lyrics, which is immediately refreshing:
“Now you act like I’m nobody / But you still want to go down on me”
Its charm goes beyond its explicit lyrics – it’s a good song in its own right. The optimistic, sing-along melody is juxtaposed against a story of self-inflicted heartbreak, going back to someone who’ll never change. The second track, ‘Fall to Pieces’, released as a single three days before the album came out, feels like a natural progression from ‘Change’. The opening, slightly funky baseline is very Taylor Swift (think ‘no body, no crime’) although when the guitars and drums come crashing through the door at the first chorus, it’s all Pale Waves. The contrast between low, moody verses and a punchy chorus is a real strength of this song, and demonstrates growth by the band.
Then there’s ‘She’s My Religion’, ostensibly a love song, but with an angsty, emo bite:
“She’s cold, she’s dark, she’s cynical / She’s forever angry at the world / She’s no angel / But she is my religion”
The guitar solo before the penultimate chorus also elevates it further, adding a triumphant twist to this love story. ‘Easy’ is a tonal shift. It’s the poppiest track on the album, and is a pure triumphant, romantic bop. It stood out as a single in its vibrancy, and is made to be played over the credits of a teen romance movie ‘Easy’ is so pop that’s it’s hard to compare with a single artist (although the band make a not-so-subtle nod to Taylor Swift in the video), but ‘Wish U Were Here’, the first non-single of the album, is a different story. The best parts of this song are when Heather speaks softly over the melody – giving off Paramore’s ‘No Friend’ vibes – because the lyrics themselves are very forgettable and formulaic. This is surprising, from the band who wrote ‘Karl (I Wonder What It’s Like to Die)’.
‘Tomorrow’, by contrast, easily rivals the singles in its entertainment value. It marries punchy guitar, optimistic lyrics and – the thing ‘Wish U Were Here’ was missing: personal stories, which collide into a veritable pop-rock banger.
‘You Don’t Own Me’, which would sit comfortably in Hey Violet’s catalogue, moves the album on from talking about sexuality and mental health to female empowerment. It’s as angry and peppy as you’d want it to be. While the guitar is just as punchy as ‘Tomorrow’, there’s more space, so the two songs don’t blur into each other. The drums also ensure it stays abrasive.
‘I Just Needed You’ is another frustrating ballad – it creates a cosy, angsty atmosphere with a warm bassline and more mellow vocals. However, the lyrics don’t move beyond the assertion that love trumps material wealth, which, like ‘Wish U Were Here’, feels generic. Luckily, ‘Odd Ones Out’ proves that the band can write successful slower songs. It’s a charming acoustic anthem which soars and sparkles. It’s hopeful and sweet, and although ‘both of us’ suggests otherwise, this could be about friendship as much as romance.
‘Run To’ is the final up-tempo offering, but it falls a bit flat in spite of the sparkly guitar and the impressive use of Heather’s range in the admittedly peppy chorus. The stand-out line is ‘Life is going well / Except my mental health’ – which needed to be explored more, because on first listen the elements of the song feel disjointed. It improves with relistens and context, and once you realise it’s sung to Heather’s mother and not a girlfriend, it makes a lot more sense.
Finally, the album closes with the title track, melancholic piano-led ballad where vocals dominate.
“Who am I?/ I need a sign / Does anybody know / How do I live a life / where I don’t feel this low”
This feeling is likely to ring true for many fans, but again the lyrics’ vagueness is their weakness – there is no personal touch, and a song like this needs more narrative.
However, as the final notes of the album linger and fade to nothing, you are still left with a positive feeling. The final few tracks might not be masterpieces, but the memory of the vibrant, punchy, personal pop-rock that punctuated the last 33 minutes of your life will have you playing this album over and over again.
