Unwanted is the third album by Mancunian indie group Pale Waves. Their 2018 debut, My Mind Makes Noises, was inspired by 1980s synthpop. Departing from that style, this record continues the guitar-driven, pop-punk direction of their 2021 follow-up, Who Am I?, which swapped out the synthesisers and jangly guitars for a harder, guitar-driven sound.
This record further establishes Pale Waves as a rock group. The opening track, and leading promotional single, ‘Lies’, is a catchy earworm of a pop-punk anthem reminiscent of the early 2000s hits of Avril Lavigne and My Chemical Romance (that’s right, noughties nostalgia is already here). Angsty and punchy, it’s certainly the album’s standout track.
The album alternates between danceable, crunchy pop-punk tracks, and acoustic-driven ballads that maintain the pace. ‘The Hard Way’ is a slow track that builds up to an emotional electric-guitar crescendo. Lyrically, the song deals with the suicide of a classmate of singer-songwriter Heather Baron-Gracie. The structure of the song lends itself well to the sensitive subject matter and the feelings of sorrow and regret. The other ballads of the album, ‘Numb’ and ‘Without You’, follow similar lines, though to lesser effect.
‘Jealousy’. which was also released as a single, shows off some of the band’s catchiest guitar hooks, though it feels very derivative of a lot of late-noughties pop-punk hits. Pale Waves tend to lean very heavily into their musical inspirations – the Paramore influence bleeds through prominently here. For those of us who grew up with MySpace and flip-phones, this proves nostalgic. For the younger crowd, it’s a great introduction to a genre that once defined a generation.
The memorable standout of the album’s second half is ‘You’re so Vain’, which changes up the rhythm with groovy, bass-driven verses leading up to a heavy-guitar punky chorus. This track brings some funk to a largely dark album – though the ‘00s-stylings are upbeat, the lyrical content is very personal and sensitive, with Baron-Gracie mulling over loss, envy, rage and depression.
Speaking to Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1, Baron-Gracie claims that Unwanted was written to be a ‘fun, high-energy’ record for the group to perform live. This is evident in the heavy pop-punk guitar riffs and angsty choruses – these will, no doubt, play well to the festival crowds. After being unable to promote their previous release due to the pandemic, the band seems very eager to get back on the stage – they are currently touring festivals across the UK, and will do a promotional tour across North America, Japan and the UK later in the year.
Overall, there’s a lot to like about Unwanted – Pale Waves continue to deliver on catchy pop-rock anthems. However, for those of us who were once fans of Paramore or All Time Low, there’s a feeling that this has all been done before. Will a pop-punk revival catch on with a new generation? Only time will tell.
Unwanted will be released on August 12th by indie label Dirty Hit. It will be able for purchase on CD, vinyl LP, cassette and digital download, as well as on streaming platforms.
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