| Smitten | |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | Pale Waves |
| Cover: | Smitten - Pale Waves-Album.png |
| Alt: | The cover depicts a woman sitting in a darkened field; above her head, hanging from the sky, is a chandelier |
| Label: | Dirty Hit |
| Producer: |
|
| Prev Title: | Unwanted |
| Prev Year: | 2022 |
Smitten is the upcoming fourth studio album by English rock band Pale Waves. It is scheduled for release on September 27, 2024[1] [2], via the independent record label Dirty Hit.[3]
In late 2023, Kerrang! magazine asked Pale Wave's lead singer and guitarist Heather Baron-Gracie about the album that would become Smitten, to which she replied: "All of my attention and energy is going into writing and recording our best album yet. Ultimately, that's about building a world that feels like Pale Waves, while also feeling completely different to anywhere we’ve inhabited before. We’re creating another universe for our fans to explore, and for us to live in for a moment."[4]
When Baron-Gracie began to work on the record, she decided to take inspiration from the "pages of [her] long-forgotten teenage diary". This encouraged her to thematically focus Smitten on "the excitement and euphoria as well as the confusion and pain of early queer relationships". Baron-Gracie ultimately welcomed the chance to revisit the past, as it allowed her to realize that as people mature, they become more open to reflecting on parts of their lives that they may have previously blocked out.
Much of the album was co-produced by Simon Oscroft and Iain Berryman. Previously, Oscroft had helped produce songs by OneRepublic, the Naked and Famous, and the Aces,[5] whereas Berryman had co-produced fellow Dirty Hit artist Beabadoobee's album Beatopia (2022).[6]
Smitten opens with "Glasgow", which lyrically discusses the dilemma of "leaving someone because you know it's no good for either of you anymore". Musically, the track has been described as "bittersweet" and "'80s-sounding", with a "soaring" chorus.
"Built around bright, dreamy guitar strums", "Gravity" discusses the "torment of being dragged in different directions by a lover who can’t choose between their relationship or their religion".[7] In an interview with The Honey Pop, Baron-Gracie explained: "It’s about my relationship that I had with a woman who was struggling with her religion and her sexuality and, in the end, chose Jesus over me."[8] The soundscape of "Gravity" has been described as "shimmery" and "guitar-forward", with comparisons made to the music of the Cure and Cocteau Twins.
"Perfume", co-written by Baron-Gracie and Oscroft, explores the excitement of new love and the "complexity that comes with the beginning of a relationship".[9] The first portion of the song Baron-Gracie wrote was the chorus, and though she initially worried that the lyrics were simple, she decided embraced their catchiness, likening them to the music of the Spice Girls. Prominently featuring "jangly, rhythmic guitar" and vocals "reminiscent of The Cranberries", "Perfume" sees "the band’s gothic impulses coming to the fore".[10] Several publications such as Atwood Magazine, NME, and Under the Radar have further argued that the track evokes the retro-pop sound of the band's early releases.[11] [12]
On 24 May 2024, Pale Waves performed at the 100 Club in London under the pseudonym "Perfume" as part of Dork magazine's "Dork Night Out" event series; at this concert, they debuted the song of the same name.[13] [14] "Perfume" was later released as the first single from Smitten, debuting on BBC Radio 1's "New Music Show" with Jack Saunders on 12 June 2024.[15] A video for the track, directed by Georgie Cowan-Turner, was also released at this time, alongside an announcement about the album itself.[16] [17] "Perfume" eventually peaked at number 13 on Billboard Japans Hot Overseas chart.[18]
The second single from the album, "Glasgow", was released on 12 July 2024, along with an accompanying music video, which features Heather Baron-Gracie packing a suitcase and driving off in a car, all while clad in a wedding dress.[19] Baron-Gracie also served as the director of "Glasgow".[20] The third single, "Gravity", was released 15 August 2024. The music video for the song, also directed by Cowan-Turner, focuses on Baron-Gracie and Luck "spend[ing] a tender day together".[21] [22]
To promote Smitten, Pale Waves organized a headline tour of the UK, which is scheduled to run from October 3 to October 18, 2024.[23]
Pale Waves
Additional musicians
Technical
| Country | Date | Format | Variant | Label | Catalog no. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | 12 June 2024 | CD | Standard | Dirty Hit | DH2067 | [24] [25] [26] |
| LP | Burgundy variant | DH2059 | ||||
| Cream variant | ||||||
| Rough Trade variant | DH2063 | |||||
| HMV variant | ||||||
| Cassette | Black variant | |||||
| Digital download | ||||||