Abandon

#11. ‘Days Of Abandon’ by The Pains of Being Pure At Heart

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart’s third album continues the band’s steady drift away from their slightly shambling C86-aping earlier work towards a more crystalline pop sound incorporating a bit of shoegaze into the shiny boy-girl mix. Like a meringue, it’s a brittle sweet confection, light as air and maybe a little sickly for some tastes but melt in the mouth and well-nigh irresistible if you’re in the mood for some sugar. Were I somewhat cooler and more up-to-date, the swirling, 6-minute centrepiece ‘Beautiful You’, complete with, if I’m not very much mistaken, a tasty MBV referencing keyboard sample in the background, would be a strong contender for my ‘Track of the Year.’

(Track of the Year?)