You listen to something like "Kurt Cobain's Cardigan" and marvel at how smart this band was, and how perfectly timed their entry into our lives as listeners. There had been a lot of great stuff on Slumberland Records before 2008, but the arrival of this group, and their self-titled debut LP, really reignited a love of jangle-pop in a lot of people. I venture to guess that there were lots of kids who bought the the first Pains and then went out and bought all the records that obviously influenced it.
In those first few fertile years on the imprint, the folks in The Pains of Being Pure at Heart put out a bunch of singles and one-off cuts which the label has now thankfully collected. Perfect Right Now: A Slumberland Collection 2008-2010 by The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, out now via Slumberland Records, collects the twee ambition of that Cobain song, the shoegaze rush of an alternate version of "Come Saturday", and other gems. The drone-y "Ramona", a flip from the "Young Adult Fiction" 7-inch single, reveals another side of the band. The tune, laconic and still heartfelt, is a real treasure. That one, and the anthemic "The Pains of Being Pure at Heart" benefit from mixing by Archie Moore (Black Tambourine, Velocity Girl, Bye!, The Saturday People). The tunes have youthful energy, but also clarity and focus. The breathy "Side Ponytail" from the "Come Saturday" 7-inch, roars with promise. It's one of many early sides by this outfit which revealed just how adept they were at blending melody and noise, the most significant act on this label to do that so very well since Velocity Girl in the early days.
By 2009, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart were expanding their sound. The superb Higher Than the Stars EP found them adding elements of electronic pop to their attack, and the non-remix tracks from that release are all here on Perfect Right Now: A Slumberland Collection 2008-2010. Placed after the giddy rock of the band's earlier efforts, the juxtaposition serves nicely to make you want to fall in love with these kids all over again. This compilation scratches that itch of making you nostalgic for stuff again, as well as reminding you that you were right in the first place; this was one great band.
Perfect Right Now: A Slumberland Collection 2008-2010 by The Pains of Being Pure at Heart is out now via Slumberland Records. Details via Bandcamp too.
[Photo: SLR]