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Starting from scratch is a scary thing for a band to do, especially if that band is in the position that The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart were in after the release of their 2011 album Belong. Belong pointed to a bright, arena-sized future for the Brooklyn-based indie pop band, but various outside circumstances led to singer/guitarist Kip Berman starting again with a new lineup for the band’s newest album. With the change in personnel came a change in direction, as well; rather than continuing with the booming, distorted sound of Belong, Days Of Abandon finds the band playing cleaner, simpler tunes with a renewed emphasis on melody over atmosphere.
Berman’s near-whispered vocals always seemed a little incongruous placed alongside the Mary Chain-esque distortion of the band’s earlier iteration, but for the tight, sophisticated pop the band play here, Berman thrives. The addition of A Sunny Day In Glasgow’s Jen Goma–who takes delightful lead turns on “Kelly” and “Life After Life”–also offers a strong counterpoint to Berman that many listeners probably didn’t know was necessary. Still, a band is only ever as good as the material they’re playing, and Berman has turned out some of the best songs of his career so far for Days Of Abandon. Between the bouncing pop of “Kelly” and the soaring harmonies on “Eurydice,” it’s safe to say that this musical reboot was well worth it.
– Kevin Korber
[…] indie pop group The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart came back in a big way with their new album, Days Of Abandon. The band have released a new single from the album, “Kelly,” and they’ve shared […]