Since forming in early 2007, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart have become one of the most talked-about pop bands in years. Their distinctive style tidily distills all the great noise-pop precedents--early My Bloody Valentine, House of Love, Pale Saints, Rocketship--with incredible exuberance and energy in every song.
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart is an instant classic, packed with brilliantly executed pop gems that blend the rush of youthful enthusiasm with crafty arrangements, well-honed tunes and buckets of guitar racket.
Smashing tunes like "Come Saturday" and "Young Adult Friction" are classic, three-minute masterpieces that simply beg to be played on repeat. "Stay Alive" and "Gentle Sons" show the band can slow it down and still rock it, and "Hey Paul" is a brash a slice of noise-blast guitar pop.
Handily transcending easy pigeonholes like "indie pop" and "indie rock," The Pains of Being Pure at Heart is just a great album that shows a smart young band fulfilling their potential and crafting a very convincing statement of purpose.