Hear Me Out: The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart: “Simple and Sure”

By Courtesy Ethos

“Simple and Sure,” the first single from The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart’s upcoming third album, “Days of Abandon,” is a fun, poppy ride from the lead-in vocal notes to frontman Kip Berman’s singing and '80s-style guitar riffs. While “Simple and Sure” is not a complete departure from the musically-packed power ballads on their second album, “Belong,” it does simplify the band’s sound with sparser instrumentation that allows the guitar riff, the drum beat, and Berman’s voice to take center stage.

Berman seizes the spotlight gracefully as his melancholic voice initially resists but ultimately succumbs to the twee-pop, optimistic melody. “Simple and Sure” sounds like a reborn Smiths track where reticent romantic agony can be turned cathartic, even cautiously bright. The juxtaposition of dispirited lyrics with the upbeat guitar riff comes across as hopeful. Berman sings “I just wanna be loved / Simply wanna be loved” as the music builds around him, and the listener can hear excitement at the potential for this desire’s realization.

Some of the best moments of the track are those where the relatively simple but jangling, energetic instrumentals stand—or rather run—alone. The track represents a success for the band in scaling back their sound to isolate the core trio of keyboard, guitar, and drum set as well as Berman’s singing, allowing each element to thrive individually and together within the song.

“Days of Abandon” is out on April 22 via Yebo Music.