Pale Waves are back, and they’re bringing with them the sweetest of obsessions! Their latest single, “Perfume,” is a bright new start for the Manchester quartet, a heart-on-sleeve transmission guaranteed to put a lovestruck teenager’s grin on your face.
Best known for her solo work and as a member of the group Repeat Repeat, Burlington, Vermont-born singer and songwriter Kristine Flaherty leans into the shimmery, nostalgic sounds of The Cure and The Cranberries on “Perfume,” a love-drunk anthem drenched in 80s rock nostalgia. “Perfume” springs to life from the opening notes with exuberant synth lines, breezy guitar riffs, and Heather Barron Gracie’s signature vocals melding into a melody that packs an adrenaline shot into the vein. It’s the kind of song that feels like falling in love, breathless, euphoric, and intoxicating.
Lyrically, Baron-Gracie guides us through the high of an early queer romance nodding to the butterflies, the longing, and the proverbial fire that burns you up. With a nod to her mother’s wisdom, “Go after what you want, and don’t let it slip away,” “Perfume” is both a celebration and an anthem of fearless devotion.
Whether you’re nostalgic about your first love or experiencing your whirlwind romance at the moment, “Perfume” is the kind of song that sticks with you, like the aroma of the person you keep thinking about. So press play, and let Pale Waves sweep you off your feet once more.