Pale Waves Smitten

Critic's Take

On Smitten, Pale Waves trade more of their punk edges for glossy synths and aching teenage romance, and the best songs - notably “Kiss Me Again” and “Glasgow” - prove the band still write irresistible hooks. Brandon Miller’s voice is unsparing but fond: he praises tracks that marry catchy guitar lines with pulsing synths, while noting the record rarely strays from its safe blueprint. For listeners asking "best tracks on Smitten" and "best songs on Smitten," “Kiss Me Again” emerges as the standout for its catchy, rhythmically surprising chorus, and opener “Glasgow” sets the tone with its Cure-like jangle. The album is cohesive and polished pop, even if originality is sometimes missing.

Key Points

• “Kiss Me Again” is best for its irresistible catchiness and unexpected rhythmic shifts.
• The album’s core strengths are polished, anthemic choruses and cohesive pop production despite limited originality.

Themes

Critic's Take

Pale Waves return with Smitten, an album that privileges candid feeling over hooks and, in the reviewer’s tone, feels like a deliberate inward turn. The review highlights best songs such as “Not a Love Song” and “Seeing Stars” for their frank lyrics and emotional clarity, and praises “Miss America” and “Gravity” as standout tracks that crystallize the album’s queer-minded themes. The voice is conversational and specific, noting how Baron-Gracie leans into queerness and vulnerability rather than flamboyant pop-punk, which makes these tracks the best songs on Smitten for listeners seeking honest, indie-tinged confessionals. This is an album of small, potent moments rather than arena-ready anthems, and the best tracks reward careful listening.

Key Points

• The best song is "Not A Love Song" because its bold, candid refrain encapsulates the album’s emotional independence.
• Smitten’s core strengths are candid lyrics, queer-centered themes, and a return to restrained indie-rock textures.

Themes

Critic's Take

There is a palpable sense of return on Smitten, where Pale Waves revisit their early sparkle and do so with sharpened conviction. The reviewers eye lands on “Perfume” as the statement single, gloriously dreamy and possessed by a Dolores O’Riordan-esque yodel, making it one of the best songs on Smitten. Album opener “Glasgow” immediately stakes a claim among the best tracks on Smitten, a sister piece to earlier highs, while “Thinking About You” is lauded as perhaps the dreamiest moment in their discography. Closing cut “Slow” is celebrated as a career highlight, underscoring why these are the standout songs and why the record feels like their strongest work yet.

Key Points

• The best song is "Perfume" because it crystallises the record’s blend of shimmering guitars and booming drums into a confident statement.
• The album’s core strengths are its return to dream-pop roots, sharper production, and emotive, emo-tinged lyricism.

Themes

Critic's Take

Pale Waves return with Smitten as a deliberate, affectionate rewind to the band’s retro alt-pop roots, and the best songs - notably “Glasgow” and “Gravity” - crystallise Heather Baron-Gracie’s personal storytelling. The record trades the Avril-tinged excesses of 2022 for ethereal synth touches and popcraft that recall My Mind Makes Noises, making tracks like “Glasgow” feel like a standout opener and “Hate To Hurt You” a candid centerpiece. There’s a clear throughline of queer identity and coming-of-age reflection that gives the best tracks emotional weight and narrative cohesion. Overall, the album’s strongest moments are those that pair punchy melodies with lived-in lyrical detail, which is exactly where listeners will find the best songs on Smitten.

Key Points

• “Glasgow” is best because it is labelled a standout, emotionally resonant opener framed as an autobiographical timestamp.
• The album’s core strengths are its return to ethereal synth-pop, candid queer storytelling, and tighter pop songwriting.

Themes

Critic's Take

In a voice that balances nostalgia and reinvention, Pale Waves make Smitten feel both familiar and forward-looking, with the best songs cutting to the emotional centre. The reviewer's ear is caught by “Not A Love Song”, a fast-paced romantic look at finding yourself, and “Miss America” for its intimate insight into Heather Baron-Gracie's partnership. Equally, “Perfume” is singled out as a prime example of their influences, nodding to The Cranberries and The Cure while remaining distinctly Pale Waves. The result is an album where the best tracks on Smitten pair big hooks with grounded lyricism, making the collection feel bold and deeply relatable.

Key Points

• The best song is memorable for pairing romantic urgency with self-discovery, exemplified by 'Not A Love Song'.
• The album's core strengths are its marriage of nostalgic influences and contemporary hooks to explore relationships and growth.

Themes

Critic's Take

Pale Waves's Smitten finds its best songs in the collision of candy-sweet pop and jagged alt energy, with “Glasgow” acting as the irresistible earworm and “Kiss Me Again” and “Seeing Stars” reviving the band's rowdier spark. The reviewer praises the shimmering guitars and echoing percussion on “Gravity” while noting Smitten wears its influences proudly - a grown-up demeanour that still feels teenaged at heart. These best tracks are singled out because they balance dreamy core melodies with crunchy edges, making them the standout moments on the album.

Key Points

• Glasgow is the best song because the reviewer calls it an "absolute earworm" and places it first in recommended listens.
• The album's core strength is blending dreamy, 80s-inflected pop with crunchy, rowdier alt energy and mature lyrical themes.

Themes

Critic's Take

Pale Waves’s Smitten feels like a band finally planting a flag in their own sound, where the best songs - like “Miss America”, “Thinking About You” and “Seeing Stars” - marry glossy ’80s pop with intimate queer diaries. Ali Shutler’s voice celebrates the record’s directness, noting that Baron-Gracie has stopped hiding behind pretty metaphors and instead writes with raw, sometimes thundering feeling. If you want the best tracks on Smitten, listen for the urgent defiance of “Miss America” and the polished pop perfection of “Seeing Stars”, which bookend the album’s newfound swagger and warmth. This is a loved-up record that will have you falling for Pale Waves all over again, its joy and heartbreak making the strongest songs genuinely unforgettable.

Key Points

• The best song is "Miss America" for its urgent, defiant energy that encapsulates the album’s swagger.
• The album’s core strengths are its direct, diary-driven lyrics and lush ’80s-inspired pop that balance heartbreak and queer celebration.

Themes

Critic's Take

There is a warm, confessional intimacy to Pale Waves on Smitten, where the best songs - notably “Glasgow” and “Imagination” - distil infatuation into shimmering alt-pop. The reviewer relishes how opener “Glasgow” bursts into life with skittish drums and bending guitar riffs, and how “Imagination” gets real about the gap between romantic fantasies and reality. That blend of brightness and wistfulness makes these the best tracks on Smitten, even as the album sometimes leans toward simplicity. Overall, the record feels more natural and distinct for the band, a soundtrack for queer romance that mostly lands.

Key Points

• “Glasgow” is the best song because its skittish drums and bending guitar riffs encapsulate the album’s bright-but-wistful pop.
• The album’s core strength is turning infatuation and queer romantic storytelling into a more natural, distinct alt-pop sound.

Themes