Pains of Being Pure at Heart

Not content to rest on the laurels of having one of the best and most talked-about albums of 2009, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart are back with four brand new songs typical of what they do best--breathe fresh life into indie-pop with exuberance, charm, and of course quality tunes.

"Falling Over" has become a staple of The Pains' live sets and shows a new side of the band. A brooding, synth-led tune that recalls New Order and The Field Mice, it is as yearning, lovelorn, and dreamy as pop gets, and an excellent addition to their canon. "Twins" turns up the fuzz--a mid-tempo rocker with a sing-along chorus and catchy-as-heck guitar lead as the hook. Slot it into a mix tape between Teenage Fanclub and an old Lilys song and you'll be happy as a clam.

"Higher Than the Stars" races along on arpeggiated keyboards and quickly strummed guitars, a perfect pop nugget that could have been ripped from Robert Smith's songbook. Its unstoppable energy is pure Pains, though, and there will undoubtedly be ear-to-ear grins when the band busts this one out on tour. "103" has quickly become a favorite of the Pains' live set and it's easy to hear why. A fizzing slice of post-C86 pop with all the melody, fuzz, and fun one has come to expect from The Pains with a snazzy little stun-guitar solo to boot. Higher Than the Stars is the start of the next chapter for The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and it looks to be just as exciting as the first. Catch the band supporting this EP with a coast-to-coast tour in September '09.

"... it's much more than the sum of its parts and too effortlessly effervescent to be studied. Pure indie-pop to hold close to your heart." --NME

"Can we wait for life to save us in the ways that a band like the Pains of Being Pure at Heart are saving indie pop?" --Dusted