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The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart's debut is a playful album which draws on a
variety of pop and rock influences from the '80s and '90s. Think
Lost in Translation soundtrack and you're not far off. Alternatively,
if you're not a fan of Ms Coppola's work, hints of My Bloody Valentine
and House Of Love are to be found here in abundance.
Though not exclusively so. At times they draw deeply from the well
of ethereal wave music, such as mid-'80s era Cocteau Twins.
Indeed, the album opener Contender is a prime example of this - it's a
relatively gentle song, with some dreamlike vocals atop a dose of
feedback and distorted guitar, particularly in the latter half.
Young Adult Friction is the standout track of the album - a fantastic
pop song, with upbeat guitars and a catchy melody. The lyrics refer to
an illicit encounter betwixt some bookstacks in a library, and contain
the great lines "We came, they went, our bodies spent / Among the dust
and the microfiche." Danceable hooks and sex in academia? I'd buy that
for a dollar.
Come Saturday and This Love Is Fucking Right! are a bit
forgettable, aside from the latter describing an incestuous
relationship, with the line "You're my sister, and this love is fucking
right!" (Again, hats off to the person who penned these lexical
gems.)
There's some head-nodding potential to be found in The Tenure Itch,
which also possesses a pleasingly stripped-back middle eight, containing
little more than drums and an organ. And things pick up further,
tempo-wise, with Stay Alive, complete with a host of guitary goodness
and the life-affirming vibes that the title suggests.
The second infusion of pop is to be found in A Teenager In Love,
which is a touch subversive. It's jaunty, but the lyrics
are far removed from jauntiness, "A teenager in love with Christ and
heroin" being the full refrain. Not only that, but the young girl in
question has apparently recently passed on. But you can't really hear
what he's singing about anyway, so please do bop away merrily.
The finale is a suitably epic affair, weighing in at a mighty four
minutes and 32 seconds, making it the longest track on the
album. About two thirds of the way in is a drum sequence exactly like
that used in Just Like Honey by The Jesus And Mary Chain,
which was itself used over the final scenes of Lost in Translation.
Neat.
All told it's a slightly patchy album, but one which is nonetheless saved
by a couple of pop gems. As such, it's a worthwhile acquisition, albeit
one you needn't put it at the top of your wishlist.
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