I was a bit sceptical about The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - what I'd heard about that first lp, while positive, had led me to expect an anaemic, derivative retread of ground covered by previous greats. But when I actually listened to it, I quite liked it, and, to my surprise, have kept on listening to it at intervals since...it's good. And so I came to Belong with moderately high expectations - which the record, in every aural sense bigger than its predecessor, has met while wearing its influences as clearly on its sleeve as ever.
It starts with the first song (and title track), which sounds - particularly at the start - exactly like a Siamese Dream era Pumpkins song, which is no bad thing, especially when the guitars are so satisfyingly fuzzy and distorted, and the verse-chorus-verse so sweet and big. Then there's the distinctly Cure-y synth line that comes in at the end of the driving (if unfortunately named) "Heart in Your Heartbreak", followed by more of the same in "The Body" before, a bit later, they really go all out on "My Terrible Friend", which, voice aside, could have come straight off Wish...and on either side there's the mellow, downbeat "Anne With An E", which draws heavily on the prettier, softer end of Kevin Shields' palette, and the JAMC-cribbing "Girl of 1000 Dreams".
Impressively, though, for all of that, they sound like a band with their own identity, which is due in large measure to their ability to write good songs, in which their style comes through without being overpowered by the spot-the-influence trappings; moreover, Belong marks a bit of a progression for them, towards a fuller, more widescreen sound...the Pains are turning out to be pretty good.
It starts with the first song (and title track), which sounds - particularly at the start - exactly like a Siamese Dream era Pumpkins song, which is no bad thing, especially when the guitars are so satisfyingly fuzzy and distorted, and the verse-chorus-verse so sweet and big. Then there's the distinctly Cure-y synth line that comes in at the end of the driving (if unfortunately named) "Heart in Your Heartbreak", followed by more of the same in "The Body" before, a bit later, they really go all out on "My Terrible Friend", which, voice aside, could have come straight off Wish...and on either side there's the mellow, downbeat "Anne With An E", which draws heavily on the prettier, softer end of Kevin Shields' palette, and the JAMC-cribbing "Girl of 1000 Dreams".
Impressively, though, for all of that, they sound like a band with their own identity, which is due in large measure to their ability to write good songs, in which their style comes through without being overpowered by the spot-the-influence trappings; moreover, Belong marks a bit of a progression for them, towards a fuller, more widescreen sound...the Pains are turning out to be pretty good.
