The Pains of Being Pure at Heart: Higher Than The Stars EP
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart: Higher Than The Stars EP
Monday, 09, Nov 2009 05:53
Fortuna POP!, out November 9th.
In a nutshell.
Fuzzy, hazy, gorgeous indie pop.
What's it all about?
More dreamy indie that craves to fly away from the banality of the everyday. On this EP, Pains manage to transcend the mundane in both theme and sonically, much in the same way their self-titled debut did.
Who's it by?
Pains released their debut album earlier this year. Not only did it feel like a breath of fresh air, it seemed like they had reinvigorated the kind of delirious, fuzzy indie pop that hadn't been heard for years.
As an example.
"Now you can't think straight, because you're not straight/ in the back of her mother's car."
What the others say
"Our main problem is with the fact that over the course of the five tracks, not one song seems to stand out, opting instead for one constant stream of annoying, badly produced sound and refusing to diversify, even once." - Brad Kelly, Strangeglue
"This EP demonstrates a tweaking of that sound that falls more in line with the cleaner approach of late-80s Sarah Records bands, most notably the Field Mice." - Joe Colly, Pitchfork.
So is it any good?
On this EP, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart subtly take their sound in other directions, without losing any of the irresistible charm that made their self-titled release from earlier this year an essential piece of work.
The title track here shows that Pains can make use of their prodigious talents in other ways than layering distorted, hazy guitar chords over dreamy synth lines. This time the keys take the lead, soaring forwards as shimmering acoustic strums take the backseat in what may be the group's most immediately likeable song yet. The cleanliness of the instrumentation sits perfectly with the naivety of the two lovers Kip Berman's dulcet tones reveal are perhaps getting it on "in the back of her mother's car".
103 is evidence that Pains can condense their sound as well, as they return to their more punkish sensibilities. With a fuzzy guitar riff and pulverising percussion driving the tune forward to its almost giddy ending, business is done in just over two minutes. Pains still remain grounded, however, never going for the ostentatious, seemingly knowing that limitation can be a positive, realistic factor in both life and music.
When a more withdrawn, contemplative stance is taken, the group still seem just as at ease with themselves as they are when smashing out instant pop gems. Twins is emblematic of this understated diversity and as Berman delicately attests that "everything good is gone", you both empathise and yet wholeheartedly disagree with him. Something quite wonderful is very much alive in The Pains of Being Pure at Heart.
8.5/10
Thomas Brewster