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The trio, consisting of frontman and guitarist Adam Hope, drummer Jack Hope and bassist Dave Barrow, discuss a variety of topics throughout this latest record.
This record is full of mentally descriptive lyrics masked by an alt-rock front that The Pale White have meticulously moulded. Following on from debut record ‘Infinite Pleasure’, the group hone in on honesty and resonating sentiments, resulting in a mature musical masterpiece.
Beginning with opening track ‘Lost In The Moment’, there are instant incorporations of prevalent themes, primarily the personification of certain concepts. In this first track, The Pale White give personality to the idea of “the moment” with repeated lines like, “I’m lost in the moment, I can’t control it”. The track talks of balancing the difficulties of being stuck in the moment, but the conflicting feelings we may have with this, “don’t know how, the manual said it was easy / I’m enthralled by the now.” Second track ‘Final Exit’ continues the personifying theme with picture painting portrayals of the end of a relationship. Lyrics including, “we couldn’t get through the fire/the flames got higher,” create a vibrant visual of what this particular scenario was like. There is a lot of Barrow’s bass playing present, adding to the distinctiveness of this tune.
‘The Big Sad’ is a record full of influence and inspirations, while maintaining The Pale White’s intricately created identity. Throughout, there are hints to acts like Manic Street Preachers and David Bowie. ‘Woolly Thunder’ is the third track and features slight similarities to songs by Manic Street Preachers with its guitar heavy feel and repetitive lyrics including, “I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again”. There are still portions of picture painting with wording like, “open the floodgates, let all the noise in,” describing a climactic situation.
‘I’m Sorry (This Time)’ follows the album’s ongoing lyrical theme while reverting back to The Pale White’s debut record. Reflecting, Hope sings, “I never did find infinite pleasure”. Instead, he drives into a discussion that embodies the entity of a “reaper”, with this figment becoming the judge of our actions, “see my reflection in his scythe/and suddenly I’m going blind”. While the title suggests being sorry about something, the track unapologetically brings to light the ubiquitous concepts of life and death, presenting them alongside a darker sound.
If you’re a fan of bands like Wunderhorse or Nirvana, this song may be one you’ll love.
Fifth track ‘January, Please’ is lighter in feel, but equally as immersive lyrically. It carries on a pattern of delving into the deeper meanings and backgrounds of our feelings, resulting in accepting and understanding undertones that listeners will appreciate and resonate with. This tune surrounds making it from one month to the next, “we could make it to June, if January lets us through”. Where the start of the year is sometimes a refreshing and inspiring beginning, for some it is the continuance of a negative time, presenting the contract between “reset and repeat”.
Halfway through the album is ‘Preparing For The Big Sad’, a track that touches on the relationship subject discussed in ‘Final Exit’. This time, the penmanship portrays the idea of having a unique relationship and love that nobody else has, “our love is discontinued and out of stock, even online”. Following tune ‘There’s An Echo’ carries this topic on, talking of an almost telepathic link to someone. It delves into the idea of being of the same mindset as someone else, sharing direction and beliefs, “you swallow your tongue, it’s best for everyone/well I understand, your echo”.
‘Real Again’ opens with the line, “how many times must a man die before he’s no longer a man?”. This Bob Dylan-esque lyric, reminiscent of ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’, is the perfect presentation of the honest approach that The Pale White have adopted throughout this second record. ‘Real Again’ is musically mesmerising, highlighting a desire to feel more authentic, “I’ve been dying all my life/to be real again”. Without this, the band say they, “become someone else”.
Playing on words is something that Geordie group have mastered, especially in ‘Trapped In The Vaccuum’. This track is addictively simplistic, with a riff in the latter half reminiscent of a slower version of the intro in Stevie Wonder’s ‘Superstitious’. One of the lines in the chorus, “the tailor’s on speed dial, ‘cause I’ve come apart at the seams/or so it seems,” is an example of the aforementioned play on words. The interlude following allows a quick break to digest the lyrically heavy notions in the record’s previous portion.
‘Nostradamus’ is another one of the singles, and a track that fuses together influences from other bands with unique lyrical links. Scottish band Fatherson’s song ‘Dive’ has musical and vocal similarities to this track, but lyrically it’s very distinctive. Drawing a historical link, The Pale White mention Nostradamus, a 16th century French astrologer who was known for his cryptic predictions, “look over your shoulder, you’re not Nostradamus/your guess is as good as mine”. Equally as addictive and immersive, penultimate song ‘My Abacus’ follows. This track discusses the feelings that a specific person gives you. They list that this person helps “break my bad mood” but that “my brain won’t compute”. It is just another track that demonstrates how in tune the band are with their feelings and thoughts.
‘The Big Sad’ is the closing, and title, track that encompasses the connotations and discussions that are so poignant in this record. “’Cause I’ve got something inside my head/that makes me want to be sad,” is the standout line in this song. The thing “inside my head” is emphasised throughout, with it being described as “out of sight, out of mind”. It is a simple melody that makes the topic of mental health instantly recognisable. A later lyric states, “I had a plan, but got stuck in the phantom traffic jam,” suggesting that sometimes we are out worst enemies, burdening ourselves with thoughts that prevent individual excellence and success.
The Pale White’s second album, ‘The Big Sad’ is nothing less than exceptional. In a world encouraging the sharing of emotions, this is exemplary, instigating and igniting conversations surrounding relationships and mental health. As a trio of three men, The Pale White have set the record straight that they aren’t afraid to delve into their emotions and present these in melodic momentums that many will resonate with beautifully. It is a record with sonic similarities to the likes of Bowie and Manic Street Preachers with the honest and poignant penmanship styles of acts like Gerry Rafferty and Bob Dylan.
