Review: Dolce Blue’s Waste Your Time

Dolce Blue
Waste Your Time
Auxiliary Records

Perth-based indie pop band Dolce Blue are stepping into a new era of cinematic pop, inspired by old Hollywood themes of darkness, temptation, and allurement. Their new song Waste Your Time unveils this fresh, daring flare from the band, who have commonly explored more mellow and melancholic themes throughout their discography.

The band opens the song with a short, ominous synth, which cuts into a sudden deep and captivating beat. This feels like a symbol of the band’s progression from their previous ambience into a more audacious style.

The point of view within the song is that of “the other woman,” who warns a victim not to fall for her, to protect their time and sanity. The chorus repeats “don’t try to love her, she’s a waste of time,” followed by eerie warnings: “I will wait and watch you while you sleep, so I know you are still.” The vocalist, Veronica Zurzolo, delivers these lyrics in a confessional yet seductive way, implying their attempt to warn the victim whilst simultaneously luring them into their jealousy-driven rituals.

By being both cautionary and alluring at the same time, it’s as if she’s saying, “I know you’ll stay anyway, but you’ve been warned.” It’s the kind of song that could have been written for a character experiencing Stockholm syndrome in a black-and-white romantic thriller.

Being the band’s first release since their 2024 deluxe release of Sweet Melancholy—an extended version of their 2023 album—it’s clear the group have spent time developing their new style. The collective confidence can be felt within the song, paving the way for this new storyline to unfold.

SOPHIE MARSHALL