Pale Waves, indie-pop group from Manchester, recently unveiled the first single from their upcoming album, Kiss. Kiss delivers the same style of Eighties influenced synth-pop that many love Pale Waves for, with the same syrupy, catchy melodies and vocals.

The music video also draws on Eighties influences, set in what appears to be an abandoned warehouse, not entirely unlike the original basement in The Cure’s Friday I’m In Love. While The Cure in this instance use the changing set to emphasise the nature of performance as contrived, Pale Waves achieve a similar effect through different means. The entire video is in black and white, with glowing whites offset by darker shadows, and flashing lights artificially highlighting different band members. The goth style of the band is further highlighted by the chiaroscuro, with Heather Baron-Gracie’s dark hair, dark lips, and rings around her eyes making her appear almost skeletal. The lack of colour isn’t a lack of vibrancy, but is a noted departure from previously brightly-coloured music videos, such as the memorable pink and purple tones of There’s A Honey.

The music video, for the most part, is similar to Pale Waves’ previous ones. Rather than being abstract or conceptual, their music videos typically  feature a performance of the song, alternating between straightforward shots of said performance and slightly more abstract shots, looking through a crack in the door at the band playing (Television Romance), or exploring the use of close-ups and different angles such as in Kiss. This exploration of different types of camera shots allows to emphasise the performance style of the band, with a Matty Healy-esque lead singer in Heather Baron-Gracie. The entire vibe of the band is not unlike the earlier work of The 1975, just slightly lighter in tone and lyricism.

The music video, while not extravagant, fits perfectly with the song. The contrast between dark and light reflects the contrast between the band’s sound and their image, bubblegum pop edged with something sharper, something harder. Kiss, with a very similar sound to what we’ve heard already from Pale Waves, is likely to be a good indicator of what to expect from their upcoming album.