The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart is a shameless and utterly joyous homage to classic twee and fuzzy indie pop: the Vaselines, early Primal Scream (before turning into the Stones), the Jesus and Mary Chain and Black Tambourine. This reverb-soaked mimicry is so spot-on that you'll swear the album is a lost gem from the late '80s. The sturdy rhythm section is the only aspect that doesn't fit. Drummer Kurt Feldman possesses a strength and confidence not typically associated with twee. That's cool with us.

Yes, the name is so twee, it was probably lifted from some emo kid's Hello Kitty diary. But
make no mistake: This quartet's exciting debut is a dark bodice-ripper for the
buttoned-up-cardigan set. Blanketed in dreamy Jesus and Mary Chain-inspired noise-pop
and fuzzy boy/girl harmonies, the Pains whisper tales of incest and library-stack hook-ups
with vaguely British drollery. Recounting student-teacher indiscretions on "The... More >