Concert Review: Pale Waves Are The Heathers of Pop
Playing at MHOW, Pale Waves were The Heathers of Pop; bringing the utmost cool to feeling and being anti-social. Similar to the 80’s classic, they resonated with the colorfulness and dreariness of being young and in love. Balancing pop-rock over lyrics that sung to feeling insecure while falling for a guy.
If Clueless had a Goth Baby then Pale Waves would be it. There is an undercurrent of pop camp and sweetness that is subtly working under Hot Topic styles and anti-glam sentiments. Walking into MHOW, you could see the heavy eye-liner and rose tattoos dripping with thorns and blood: symbolic of the edge and sentiment that is drawn into their music. Pale Waves, unabashedly, go for an aesthetic, which is why they also build a counter-culture around them that attracts a loyal following while veiling their universal themes.
Pale Waves – One More Time
Being 18 and in love is, probably, one of the most emotional experiences anyone can undergo, and songs such as, “Television Romance,” “Noises,” “Drive,” and “She” spoke to every young lady that gave and crushed her heart with one, young man. The most beautiful and slightly tragic thing about teen love is that it feels so big and urgent. Not getting a text back from your boyfriend could lead to sincere thoughts of throwing yourself off a bridge. Yet, Heather Baron-Gracie’s voice and presence shows the extremity of feeling is apart of the natural processing of love. From “Eighteen” to “Heavenly,” her voice felt like a cherry lollipop with a bitter center. She sweetened sadness to show that life is a cross between the times you sink and the moments you swim through “The Tide.”
Pale Waves – Noises
Pale Waves’ emotional common ground spoke to every person, but especially to young women that need someone else to say, “Yeah, young love sucks but it gets better!” With red lighting draping over them to amp the passion of their tracks, Pale Waves’ show stands out because it truly is set for their fandom. It could be an atmospheric affect, but their show feels like a communal meeting, of which to love their music is sign-up to their heartbreak-pop membership. For More Information On Pale Waves Click Here.
Pale Waves – Eighteen
