Unwanted (album)

Unwanted
The image depicts the band sitting on the floor. The word "Unwanted" is written in dust on the ground.
Studio album by
Pale Waves
Released12 August 2022 (2022-08-12)
Recorded2021[1]
StudioMDDN, California
GenrePop-punk[2][3][4]
Length39:05
LabelDirty Hit
ProducerZakk Cervini[5]
Pale Waves chronology
Who Am I?
(2021) 		Unwanted
(2022) 		Smitten
(2024)
Singles from Unwanted
  1. "Lies"
    Released: 9 May 2022[5]
  2. "Reasons to Live"
    Released: 8 June 2022[6]
  3. "Jealousy"
    Released: 27 June 2022[7]
  4. "The Hard Way"
    Released: 20 July 2022[8]
  5. "Clean"
    Released: 12 August 2022[9]

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 bands and musicians like 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.

  1. ^ Shutler, Ali (4 January 2022). "Pale Waves' third album will be released this year". NME. Archived from the original on 9 May 2022.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference mtv-interview-pre was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Ackroyd, Stephen, ed. (July 2022). "What's on the Stereo?". Dork (67): 3. The pop punk album of the year? Pale Waves have gone full Avril and it's absolutely bloody brilliant.
  4. ^ Ackroyd, Stephen, ed. (July 2022). "Festival Previous: Y Not". Dork (67): 24. Pale Waves' third album is a pop punk masterpiece.
  5. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference nme_announcement was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Major, Michael (8 June 2022). "Pale Waves Release New Single 'Reasons To Live'". Broadway World. Archived from the original on 8 June 2022.
  7. ^ Rogers, Jack (28 June 2022). "Pale Waves Have Released A Sweet & Savage New Track 'Jealousy'". Rock Sound. Archived from the original on 28 June 2022.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference hardway was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Clayton, Izzy (12 August 2022). "Pale Waves release new LP 'Unwanted' alongside new video for single 'Clean'". Backseat Mafia. Archived from the original on 12 August 2022.