Manchester goth pop outfit Pale Waves formed in 2014 and were signed by Dirty Hit in 2017, releasing their debut single There’s A Honey to critical acclaim. The following year they placed fifth in the BBC Sound of 2018 poll, and claimed the NME Under the Radar Award at the NME Awards. Their debut album My Mind Makes Noises charted in the UK Albums Chart top ten, and everything seemed to be falling into place for the band. 

However, things haven’t been straightforward for Pale Waves in the years since. A near-constant touring schedule and a horrific bus crash in Germany last year no doubt took their toll on the band, while the pressure to release a follow up to their debut, and to write and record that second album during the Coronavirus pandemic, can’t have been easy.

On Who Am I? lead singer Heather Baron-Gracie takes on the bulk of the writing work, and in many ways it feels like a very personal record. In the promotion work the band have done for the new album, Baron-Gracie has spoken of being inspired by Avril Lavigne, and it’s a comparison that smacks you right in the face with opening track Change, a song that is eerily reminiscent of the Sk8er Boi star’s early noughties hits.

Elsewhere, She’s My Religion is built around some big guitar riffs, while Wish U Were Here is a slick sounding pop song that discusses the craving of intimacy that lockdown has made so difficult for so many (“I look at pictures of you / I’m getting nothing back”). I Just Needed You meanwhile might just be the best track on the album, with its Smashing Pumpkins-esque riff and emotive vocals. 

Ultimately Who Am I? feels like the sound of Pale Waves trying to answer that question themselves, and rejoicing in finally finding an answer. It’s a compelling listen, packed full of shimmering, introspective songs that mark a real progression from their debut. Given the difficult times they’ve endured, it’s a triumph.

Who Am I? tracklist:

1. Change
2. Fall To Pieces
3. She’s My Religion
4. Easy
5. Wish U Were Here
6. Tomorrow
7. You Don’t Own Me
8. I Just Needed You
9. Odd Ones Out
10. Run To
11. Who Am I?

Watch the official video for Fall To Pieces here.

Author: Joe Sharratt

Joe Sharratt is a writer and journalist based in the UK covering music, literature, sport, and travel.