The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

New York group the Pains of Being Pure at Heart started out following the classic indie pop formula of pairing romantic, hooky songwriting with neurotic fuzz guitar. Principle songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist Kip Berman's particular knack for complex melodies and emotionally resonant songwriting helped the band stand out, and they evolved from scrappy noise pop beginnings to slicker, stadium-ready production by the time of their fourth album, 2017's The Echo of Pleasure.