Perfect Right Now: A Slumberland Collection 2008-2010

レアなBサイド、EP、スプリット・シングル収録曲をまとめたコンピ

C86から初期SLUMBERLAND、SARAH、CREATIONなどのレーベル・リリース作品からのインスピレーションと、SMASHING PUMPKINSやTHE EXPLODING HEARTSなどのアメリカンなテイストを孕んだオリジナリティ溢れる音楽性で00年代後半のブルックリン・インディー・シーンに登場したTHE PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART。本作は、レアなBサイド、スプリット・シングル、EP収録曲をまとめた、初期THE PAINSのストーリーを完結させるコンピレーション・アルバムです。

2008年にリリースされたTHE PARALLELOGRAMSとのスプリット・シングル収録曲“KURT COBAIN'S CARDIGAN”、2009年リリースEP『HIGHER THAN THE STARS』収録曲、そしてバンドのネクスト・チャプターへの道筋を示す壮大な“SAY NO TO LOVE”など、正真正銘の隠れ名曲が収録されています。

In their initial incarnation, the Pains of Being Pure at Heart came pretty darn close to vaulting themselves up to the same level as the bands that had so clearly inspired them. They had the sonic terrorism of early My Bloody Valentine, the heart-swelling majesty of Ride, the sensitive overload of half the Sarah Records stable, and the drive of C86 mainstays like the Wedding Present and Shop Assistants. What made them stand out from the myriad of groups who continue to pull off a similar stunt is that they played everything with a wide-eyed wonder and enthusiasm thats impossible to resist. Their early singles were brilliant bursts of hooky noise, and their self-titled debut album on Slumberland was the work of a band tapping directly into the sparking electric core of their sound. Perfect Right Now: A Slumberland Collection 2008-2010 starts at about the time they were working towards that album and leaves off as the band were saying goodbye to sonic overdrive and embracing more subtle influences. The first half of the set has excellent noise-encrusted tracks like "Kurt Cobains Cardigan" and a non-album version of "Come Saturday" where the guitars sound like they are taking time off from their day job of working in a sawmill; it also features jumpy pop songs like "Side Ponytail" and "The Pains of Being Pure at Heart" that would easily fill the floor at an indie disco. The halfway point shifts from their early sound to something far closer to dream pop; the lovely single "Higher Than the Stars" balances acoustic guitar strums with washy synths and a heartbreakingly clear vocal from Kip Berman to end up in New Order territory, while "Falling Over" does much the same, only it calls to mind a danceable Cure song instead. They didnt dispense with noise entirely, as "103" and "Twins" both push the faders into the red, but the songs come across more layered and less of a breathless rush. By the time the set concludes with the supercharged, pristinely produced "Say No to Love," the band had taken a step away from rec rooms and bedrooms to mid-sized clubs with clean bathrooms. Perfect Right Now charts a fascinating course, giving the groups fans a close look at their progression while collecting most of their non-LP releases. Its a reminder that at their best -- as they are quite often here -- the Pains of Being Pure at Heart were something special. ~ Tim Sendra