Review: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – Days of Abandon

Without much fanfare, The Pains’ classic lineup has gone (Peggy’s the DIY Editor at BuzzFeed!?) and been replaced by a rotating cast of indie pop vets. Sigh … is the indie pop revival that Kip Berman and friends kick-started in the late aughts finally having its bittersweet coda? If it isn’t the shambling, C86-pop of their self-titled debut, or the blissed-out ’90s alt-rock of Belong—what is Abandon? On the soft opening “Art Smock,” Kip sounds like a fey Ezra Koenig, signaling his desire to transcend indie pop formula. “Life After Life” and “The Asp at My Chest,” with sweeping horns via Kelly Pratt, gentle-jangle and sweet, longing vocals from A Sunny Day in Glasgow’s Jen Goma, aren’t dissimilar to ace Belle & Sebastian tunes. Though it sounds more like Kip’s attempt at a solo record, each track is stellar pop. Toe-tappers—don’t pass this over. –Christian Schultz