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

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Higher Than the Stars [EP] (2009)

There have seemingly been millions of these dream-pop charmers releasing music over the past decade of so, seeking and capturing the hearts of legions of indie-lovers without really distinguishing themselves. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart are a different story—they’re just really good. The diversity is a strong suit because it lends a bit more identity to their work and gives incentive to revisit their work. “Higher Than the Stars” features a shimmering guitar melody that, along with the uptempo drum beat, propels the song. It would be a fine introduction to the band’s work for anyone who hasn’t heard them. “103” is a quick, poppy, tune, that keeps the alive the fun spirit of the first track. “Falling Over” features a bouncy, slightly funky, bass line and guitar part. “Twins” uses a fuzzier guitar melody and more breathy vocals than the other tracks. Then there’s a remix of “Higher Than the Stars” which is a lot of fun itself, slowing the tempo of the song and letting the beautiful female vocals and airy male vocals interact, while a subdued electronic beat draws in over the course of the song. Their debut album, released earlier this year, is also fantastic, and this EP shows that the band is good enough to be around for a while. LISTEN

1. Higher Than the Stars (3:49)

2. 103 (2:03)

3. Falling Over (3:11)

4. Twins (3:18)

5. Higher Than the Stars (Saint Ettiene Visits Lord Spank Mix) (6:47)