Album Review: Pale Waves – All The Things I Never Said EP

The highly anticipated debut EP from Pale Waves is finally here. And while it’s nothing earth-shattering, it’s filled with sweeping hooks and catchy vibes that’ll have you singing all day. With a similar pop sensibility as The Cure, the music is upbeat and dreamy sounding making you want to dance while lyrics about heartache and longing love will make you cry.

The melancholy vibe paired with upbeat, bouncy 80s inspired music runs throughout all of the songs. They may sound similar, but it’s hard to resist the big hook on “The Tide” or the bittersweet voice of frontwoman Heather Baron-Gracie on “New Year’s Eve.” And “My Obsession” and “Heavenly” are filled with naked honesty about what it means to be in love and having your heart broken. At the same time, the EP lacks diversity when it comes to sound.

The songs are great, but it feels like the band is holding back. It would be great to hear them push their music, explore their range, and produce songs that don’t sound strikingly similar to one another. With how much we’ve been anticipating this release, we expected something a little different than what they previously shared last year. “Television Romance” and “There’s a Honey” showed us how well they handle the indie pop style. Now, we want to hear more. Still, it’s only their first release and there’s plenty of time for them to grow.

All The Things I Never Said is a catchy blend of indie rock, pop, and a hint of melancholy that’s oddly fun. Though the band does bear some resemblance to The 1975 (Matty Healy has worked with the band in the past) the brutal honesty of the songs leave an impression on you and you’ll walk away with Baron-Gracie’s sweet voice stuck in your head all day. It’s a solid release but it leaves you wanting more. Hopefully, the band will continue to play with their music and establish their sound to stand out from their peers. Either way, we can’t wait to hear more from Pale Waves.

All the Things I Never Said tracklist:

1 New Year’s Eve
2 The Tide
3 My Obsession
4 Heavenly

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