Phonotonal
Pale Waves - Who Am I

Pale Waves
Easy

The new Pale Waves album, ‘Who Am I’, is one of our most eagerly anticipated releases of 2021. ‘Easy’ is the first single from the band this year, following ‘Change’ and ‘She’s My Religeon’ in building up to the LP release.

For those who played ‘My Mind Makes Noises’ non-stop for months, there’s a lot to love in this release. Obviously, Baron-Gracie’s voice is instantly recognisable, but the melodic flicker-and-pump sound is reminiscent of ‘Drive’ and ‘Eighteen’. It hops from muted hush into big thumping chorus lines, inlaid with bittersweet lyrics.

Of the three singles, this is the one that will trigger fan cutis anserina. Where ‘Change’ had glimmers of 2005 charm and ‘She’s My Religion’ had a dark pop warmth, this is the most Pale Wavesy of the three singles so far.

From the collection so far, it’s clear the second album is going to drift towards a broader sound, not unlike ‘Under My Skin’ in its composition of emotion and melody – but with plenty of the Pale Waves stamp to ensure we all get drawn along on the journey.

Watch Pale Waves – Easy

Written by Smith on

Stuart 'Saur' Smith was a prolific writer for The Mag throughout the magazine's lifetime. He combined a day job of temporary office jobs in London with a nightlife of trawling the capital's music venues looking for talent. As well as writing about music, he was a session musician who featured on a number of singles in the 90s. Today, Stuart is a Chief Writer for Phonotonal.
Stuart Smith

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