By: Michael Madavi
Artist: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
Title: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
Label: Slumberland/ Fortuna POP!
Release Date: 2.3.09
UPC: 749846208927/5060044170584
Genres: Alternative
Territories: North America, Europe
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart have created a record that is sure to become an instant classic among those who were young and wistful in the late 80′s, early 90′s or anyone since who looks back longingly at the dancing abandon of the time. Imagine if My Bloody Valentine and The Smiths met up with Belle and Sebastian to make an album exclusively about being young and (accurately) pure. Since forming in early 2007, they have released a handful of singles on classy labels like Slumberland, Fortuna Pop!, Atomic Beat and Cloudberry, each one issued to greater anticipation and even wilder reception. Critical acclaim has come from such varied quarters as Stereogum, Fader, Big Takeover, Indie Pages, Skatterbrain, Drowned In Sound, Indie-MP3, Clash Magazine and uncountable others.
Their brand new self-titled release on Slumberland Records (Stereolab, Sunny Day In Glasgow) does a true and well-composed homage to a generation of bands we all love so much. You can tell upon first listen that the band members are huge fans themselves who took all the best parts from these legendary groups and combined them so everyone can have the pleasure of reliving those moments from decades ago. “Stay Alive” has Johnny Marr’s chorus-saturated guitar dancing around MBV vocals, while “Gentle Sons” sounds like an unreleased Jesus and the Mary Chain song. This album is destined for critical acclaim; it took all these great bands and re-did their sound accurately and magnificently, while uniting their songs under the theme their namesake regards. These tracks truly sound like a complicated soul: someone pure and innocent in a world that seems to work harder everyday to remove those values. The pain of being misunderstood, the joy of feeling free from restriction, and the young longing one feels for the future and all its possibilities are what power and fuel Pure at Heart’s songwriting. This album will provide a soundtrack for the best day of your life, the worst breakup you’ve ever had, or anything lying in between that’s genuinely emotional. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart are not to be overlooked or written off as a tribute band; they are a genuine reincarnation of beloved period of pop music that remained un-replicated until now.
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
“Everything With You” (mp3)
from “Everything With You”
(Fortuna POP)
Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at Napster
Check out the music video for “Everything with You” after the jump…
