Last year was THE year for Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, their neat distillation of all things pop managing to wow critics and fans alike. The latest offerings, ‘Say No To Love’ and b-side ‘Lost Saint’, available as free downloads until the end of July, have not lost any of the youthful exuberance that moved their debut and made them a gem amongst many similar offerings; or a pearl button on a grey twee cardi. Intense bursts of immediacy suggest unplanned flashes of inspiration, disaffected vocals an uncaring nonchalance, wrapped in an air of inexperience all belyi the talent behind this careful crafting of well honed fuzzed guitars, hazy shimmering loops and tight drums. Pains Of Being Pure Of Heart continue to wear their multitude of influences proudly, but the five piece transform what could be a black and white photograph of a genre into a glorious Technicolor aural joy.
Francesca Baker