The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart (2009)

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart’s self-titled debut came out this February. When I first heard it a few months ago I was impressed with how well it knew the basics of this style and how to use them to their fullest, as well as with their restraint. They turn in some dreamy, poppy songs, rich with hooks, and lacking the sort of endless indulgent textured sound manipulation I’ve come to expect from dream-pop groups these days. This is an album full of very catchy pop songs, that wont leave your head anytime soon. “Young Adult Friction” is one of my favorites, with its wonderful vocals and very catchy refrain of “Don’t check me out, don’t check me ou-ou-ou-out.” “Stay Alive” is another highlight with acoustic guitar under the typical chiming guitar sounds, and a very pretty chorus. Also “Contender” and “A Teenager in Love” are highlights, although the album is without a track that is significantly weaker than these. It’s a lot of pleasant, pretty guitars supplementing some very fun, well sung, songs. LISTEN

1. Contender – 2:40
2. Come Saturday – 3:17
3. Young Adult Friction – 4:07
4. This Love Is Fucking Right! – 3:15
5. The Tenure Itch – 3:45
6. Stay Alive – 4:56
7. Everything with You – 2:59
8. A Teenager in Love – 3:24
9. Hey Paul – 2:03
10. Gentle Sons – 4:32