Belong
From *Belong*’s anthemic title track onwards, the Pains of Being Pure at Heart deliver a confident sophomore album filled with arresting melodies and awash in glorious noise. Part of the credit goes to co-producers Flood (of Smashing Pumpkins renown) and Alan Moulder (My Bloody Valentine and Ride, among others), who give the New York quartet the sort of arena-shaking sound they deserve. Happily, the band is ready for this sort of widescreen treatment, offering a batch of taut, relentless rockers and dreamy ballads made to be played with enraptured fury. Kip Berman’s wistful vocals hover over massed guitar feedback and thick, panting bass, bringing out the longing buried within “Even In Dreams,” “Heaven’s Gonna Happen Now” and “Heart In Your Heartbreak.” Peggy Wong-East’s surging synthesizers coat “My Terrible Friend” with a bright neon glaze; the echo-bathed “Anne With an E” achieves a Spectorian melancholy grandeur. Somehow, the Pains manage to do it all with disarming humility, as if they were still unknowns thrashing away in garageland obscurity.
Rather than repeat the 80s indie pop they'd so expertly nailed, Pains trade up to 90s-style alt-rock-- a potentially risky gamble-- and nail that too.
Currently the “Best Band With The Worst Name” title holder, The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart debuted in 2009 as a twee indie-rock act whose sound owed more than a little to Belle And Sebastian. But Pains showed a stronger propensity for rock, which explains the band’s choice of producer Flood (U2, Smashing Pumpkins,…
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart is named after an unpublished children’s book. A track on their debut was titled “Young…
We’ll spare you the lazy rock critic tendency to name drop and inventory all the influences at work on the new Pains of Being Pure at Heart record. It shouldn’t be that hard to work out on your own.
On their debut, TPOBAH turned out a fine, if rather fey, jangle-rock sound reminiscent of early-’90s wash-poppers The Field Mice.
Belong showcases a young band operating at an impressive level of cohesion and consistency.
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart new album 'Belong', comes out on May 13 on Yebo Music. The first single is "Simple and Sure, the band plays 4/24 in Boston
On their second album the Brooklyn indiepoppers face the challenge of moving beyond indiepop. <strong>Michael Hann</strong> says they half succeed
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Belong review: Hey, rockists! It's okay to crack a smile sometimes!