Unwanted (album)
Unwanted is the third studio album by English rock band Pale Waves. It was released on 12 August 2022 by the independent record label Dirty Hit. The record was produced by Zakk Cervini and recorded in Los Angeles. Production for the record began roughly half a year after Pale Waves released their second album, Who Am I? (2021), with the quick turnaround due in large part to the COVID-19 pandemic, which prevented the band from touring. Indebted to the pop-punk genre, Unwanted was intended to be heavier and more aggressive than the band's previous work.
Heather Baron-Gracie (the band's lead singer and rhythm guitarist) co-wrote all of the album's songs with a close group of musical collaborators, including drummer Doran, Kelsi Luck, Cervini, Sam de Jong, Whakaio Taahi, Andrew Goldstein, and Drew Fulk. Many of the lyrics on Unwanted discuss darker topics, including anger, jealousy, substance use, depression, and suicide. Musically, the record was inspired by a variety of bands, including Paramore, My Chemical Romance, Green Day, Liz Phair, and Courtney Love. Many critics have also compared the album to the work of Avril Lavigne.
According to review aggregators Metacritic and AnyDecentMusic?, Unwanted received mostly positive reviews from critics, with many applauding the band's continuing evolution, the record's heavier sound, and Cervini's pop-punk production. Some critics felt that the album was too prosaic and derivative. Unwanted debuted at number four on the UK Albums Chart and at number one on the UK Independent Albums Chart. To support the album, music videos for the songs "Lies", "Reasons to Live", "Jealousy", "Clean", and "Unwanted" were released.
Production[edit]
Background[edit]
In 2018, Pale Waves released their debut album, My Mind Makes Noises. Heavily influenced by the music of the 1980s,[10] the record received mostly positive attention.[11][12] Three years later, in 2021, the band released their second album, Who Am I? This record moved away from the 80s-inspired sound of the band's debut, instead taking inspiration from the alternative rock and pop rock of the 1990s and 2000.[13] The album's lyrics focused mostly on lead singer Heather Baron-Gracie's romantic life and her LGBTQ+ identity.[14] Because Who Am I? was released during the COVID-19 pandemic, Pale Waves had to postpone a tour in support of the album until 2022.[15][16]
Inspiration and writing[edit]
Pale Waves began working on the songs from Unwanted shortly after the release of Who Am I? – a quick turnaround which Baron-Gracie attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic having "deprived [them] from playing live music".[17] In an interview with Zane Lowe's Apple Music 1 show, Baron-Gracie further explained that the group wanted Unwanted to be a fun, high-energy record to perform live. Pale Waves thus decided to embrace a "heavier" pop-punk sound that emphasized distorted guitars over synthesizers;[18] Baron-Gracie touched upon this topic again in an interview with University College Dublin's student newspaper, The University Observer, when she contended that the album "hits harder" than their previous work and better emphasizes the pop punk side of the band.[19]
When talking to MTV News writer Carson Mlnarik, Baron-Gracie asserted that, tonally, Unwanted is darker than previous Pale Waves's releases: "I feel like overall this album in particular touches upon subjects that we’ve never touched upon before, like loss, vanity, anger, jealousy, hopelessness ... It’s very dark. It’s very personal."[2] In a write-up released by Rock Sound, the band cited Liz Phair and Courtney Love as inspiring some of the album's "angst and anger",[20] and due to these emotions, Baron-Gracie felt that the record was raw and genuine.[21] The general sound of Unwanted was further inspired heavily by American pop punk band Paramore.[18]
Commercial performance[edit]
Unwanted was released on 12 August 2022 by the independent record label Dirty Hit on vinyl, CD, cassette, and as a digital download.[30][71] In addition to the standard CD releases, Dirty Hit also released four alternate cover variants (each showcasing a different member of the band),[72] and Blood Records released a "holographic" vinyl variant limited to 1000 hand-number copies.[73] An extended version of the album – entitled the "Antidote Edition – was released exclusively through Apple Music. This release includes four bonus tracks: live versions of "Jealousy", "Reasons to Live", and "So Sick (Of Missing You)", as well as a live cover of the Wheatus single "Teenage Dirtbag".[74] Additionally, the Japanese release of the album came bundled with the bonus track "I Hope that You're Happy Now".[75]
Upon its release, Unwanted debuted at number 4 on the UK Albums Chart (Official Charts Company),[76][a] selling 6,985 copies.[78] On the UK Independent Albums Chart (OOC), it debuted at number 1,[79] and on the Official Vinyl Albums, Official Physical Albums, and Official Record Store Charts (OOC), the record debuted at number 2.[80][81][82] On the Scottish Albums Chart, Unwanted peaked at number 2,[83] and in Japan, it reached 166 on the Oricon Albums Chart.[84]