This New York quartet with the somewhat pretentious band name does not deserve the prize for originality. However, never before did a band come up with the idea of combining the noisy guitars and sleeping vocals of The Jesus And Mary Chain with the sweet pop songs of Belle & Sebastian. The Ramones punk pop is never far away either. And it must be said, the result sounds extremely pleasant.
Not least because of the steady hand of songwriting that characterizes this self-titled debut. All songs have an uplifting rhythm and melodies that quickly settle in the head. Texts that tell about the worries of teenagers in a band provide a carefree summer feeling, a rarity in the introverted shoegaze genre. Don't be fooled by the gloomy band name, The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart doesn't let melancholy get the upper hand anywhere. (MS)more
