All the Things I Never Said


All the Things I Never Said is the debut extended play by English indie pop band Pale Waves. It was released on 20 February 2018 by Dirty Hit. The EP was originally titled New Year's Eve after the single of the same name with a provisional release date of 18 January 2018, but in early January 2018 the name change was announced and a new release date was issued. The EP also includes reworked versions for the band's early demos "The Tide" and "Heavenly".
All four tracks on the EP were released as singles, with "New Year's Eve" serving as the lead single on 7 November 2017. The EP peaked at number one on both the UK Physical Singles Chart and the UK Vinyl Singles Chart.

Recording and release

The EP was recorded in late 2017 with Jonathan Gilmore. The group previously announced the title of the EP as New Year's Eve with a track listing that originally included three songs, set to be released 18 January 2018. The release date was eventually pushed back to 20 February 2018, under a new title and including four tracks. The final track listing includes reworked versions of the group's early demos of "The Tide" and "Heavenly". The EP was also released on a limited-edition transparent heavyweight red 12-inch vinyl on 16 March 2018.
The song "New Year's Eve" was released on 7 November 2017 as the lead single from the EP. On 15 December 2017, the track was sent to contemporary hit radio in the United Kingdom.
The second single "My Obsession" was released digitally on 13 December 2017, one day after premiering on Zane Lowe's Beats 1 show.
On 31 January 2018, "The Tide" premiered on Lowe's Beats 1 show as part of his "World Record" feature, and was released digitally the following day as the third single from the EP.
"Heavenly" premiered on BBC Radio 1's show Annie Mac as the "Hottest Record in the World" on 19 February 2018. On 23 March, it was serviced to UK contemporary hit radio as the fourth and final single from the EP.

Critical reception

Critical reception to the EP has been positive upon its online release. In a positive review for NME, Thomas Smith praised the EP: "their more recent singles have pushed the band's sound into daring new ground". The review also praised the emotional tone of the record: "If 'All The Things I Never Said' has prompted the first tear to roll down the cheek, then, so catch us bawling our eyes out by debut album time". The Line of Best Fit gave the EP a four star review by Tina Roumeliotis singling out "My Obsession" as a highlight stating the songs "heartbreaking vibe" was "making this moment in the EP stand still, existing all on its own while forming a special place in our hearts..."
Reception to the singles has been positive. Writing for Clash magazine, reviewer Robin Murray called the title track "Engagingly bittersweet" and said of the song "the storming chorus could be lifted straight from the end credits of a John Hughes movie". Reviewing the second single from the EP he said of the song, "Endearingly open, 'My Obsession' is Pale Waves at their best – honest, reflective, and gently anthemic". DIY praised "My Obsession" as "another storming goth-pop sensation from the four-piece" and described the track as having "crunching riffs, jangly guitar melodies and a killer pop hook that explodes seemingly from nowhere". Also reviewing "New Year's Eve" the magazine called the song "a shimmering pop gem with a melancholy twist as the soaring hook".

Music videos

"New Year's Eve"

The music video for "New Year's Eve" was directed by Stephen Agnew and was released on 5 December 2017. The video features the band at a New Year's Eve party where they are the only guests and performers. The narrative of the video extends to lead singer Heather Baron-Gracie wandering off into the cold night contemplating her loneliness with the rest of the band sitting alone at various tables at the party.
The band were sent several treatments for the video; it was Agnew's treatment that caught the attention of the band as it was closest to what the band had envisioned to be the final product.

"My Obsession"

The music video for "My Obsession" was released on 18 December 2017. The video was shot in conjunction with the video for "New Year's Eve" over two days and was also directed by Agnew. The video features Baron-Gracie living with a mannequin as the object of her obsession, bathing with it and holding it close like a loved one.
Speaking to The Fader about the video's voyeuristic nature, Baron-Gracie said, "I wanted to create an uncomfortable, voyeuristic experience for the viewer", elaborating, "To make them feel they are intruding on a world they shouldn't be a part of. Ultimately, it is a representation of desperation, loneliness and grief."

"The Tide"

The music video for "The Tide" premiered on 7 February 2018 through the band's official Vevo account and was directed by Andy Deluca. The video features live shots interspersed with backstage footage. The footage was taken from the band's headlining tour across North America in November and December 2017.

"Heavenly"

On 19 March 2018, the fourth and final music video from the EP, "Heavenly", was released. The video was directed by Adam Powell and features Baron-Gracie dressed in a latex catsuit attached to numerous wires being controlled and pulled in several directions like a marionette, interspersed with clips of Baron-Gracie miming the song against a white background. It had its world premier on the Wonderland website.

Track listing

Personnel

Pale Waves
Technical personnel

Weekly charts

Chart Peak
position
UK Physical Singles 1
UK Vinyl Singles 1

Year-end charts

Chart Position
UK Vinyl Singles Top 40 31

Release history