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Live Music Review Potential but little pop power from Pale Waves

Pale Waves
Shepherds Bush Empire, London/Touring

WITH debut album My Mind Makes Noises  just dropped and an  expectant crowd clamouring at the front, darkness descends and dry ice kicks in as Manchester's Pale Waves emerge on stage. They're greeted by a sea of phones and a chorus of cheers, with the biggest for lead singer Heather Baron-Gracie.

Signed to Dirty Hit, backed by The 1975's Matty Healy, shortlisted for the BBC's Sound of 2018 — they were fifth —  and winners of the 2018 NME Under the Radar award as one to watch, Pale Waves are playing their biggest headline show.

And they know how to get the crowd on side, immediately launching into Television Romance, a stand-out track combining their standard indie-goth guitar fare with would-be anthemic choruses.

Baron-Gracie leads from the front and, along with co-writer Ciara  Doran on drums, the band has Hugo Silvani on guitar and Charlie Wood on bass. While Doran gains some prominence on her drum riser, the guitarists stick to the sidelines, leaving Baron-Gracie to claim the limelight as tracks Kiss — not a Prince cover — and Eighteen follow.

Dressed in red and black Baron-Gracie cuts a strong presence and is perhaps the reason the band's been labelled one to watch. But as the set continues it's noticeable that they're employing the  same formula of rocky guitar, soft synths in the background and forlorn lyrics about troubled young relationships.

Evocative of classic 1980s indie fare like The Cure's poppy goth, some Smiths’ jangly angst and Cocteau Twins’ shimmering guitar, the 75-minute set takes in 14 tracks, 10 from the debut album. There are shades of something interesting. In places you can hear similarities to Chvrches, although not the vocal political activism of Lauren Mayberry — there is still time for that, perhaps —  the audience don't mind and are fully in the moment as they dance and sing along to every number.

Ending with There's a Honey, which mirrors the first song of the night, it's almost like we're back at the start and the audience obviously enjoy it but track after track lacks real spark and seems to meld into one another.

Pale Waves have potential but those expecting a tsunami of sound got more of a ripple of repeated riffs that fade too fast.

Tour and album details: palewaves.co.uk

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