OK, at some point, someone will have to explain what, exactly, the pains of being pure at heart are. Because we at the 'phobe are clearly never going to figure it out from personal experience.... What's far easier to figure out is why The Pains of Being Pure at Heart have been so well received in recent times. We're pretty sure we've hit on it: they're a happy band playing shoegazey-sounding melodies and harmonies but without the crippling self-doubt or -absorption that often accompanies—or defines—the genre. They approach microphones with a seemingly lackadaisical saunter, but you can see intensity in the band members' eyes and in the way they rock guitars, bass, keys, and drums.
Outdoors at Red 7 was a great venue for Pure at Heart, with dappled sunlight eking through the trees that probably enhanced the light breeziness of their offering. This is another band with a formidable SXSW schedule, and I hope that they equally impress all of their audiences.
